What About Now?
by Maya Yoan
Summary: What If Supreme Deity started to regret her decision to curse her own daughter, thus she changed the way curses on Meliodas and Elizabeth worked? After Elizabeth died for 106 times, Supreme Deity had the deal with her before Elizabeth reincarnated for 107 times. Elizabeth remembered everything, regained all her past-lives memories but she didn't die even after three days passed.
1. Prologue

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**Prologue**

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* * *

It was started on her 16th birthday.

Elizabeth Liones collapsed unconscious, screaming in pain as she clucthed her head. She fell sick after that, lying on her bed for a week with high fever. Everyone had been worried sick, her father, her sisters and her friends. When she woke up, only her father, King Baltra who was allowed by the healer to see her. She apologized, crying her heart out loud. Both her eyes changed. Her brilliant blue eyes turned into pristine orange like the sun. There were the golden triskelion marks, symbol as one of the goddess clan's members.

Elizabeth started to remember her past-lives memories ever since 3.000 years ago, their curse. She only had three days after she remembered everything, yet Meliodas wasn't here. He hadn't been here, near her side, ever since 10 years ago.

She yearned for him.

Now she knew and remembered, she missed him more.

She loved him.

Thus she was conflicted. How could she die only three days after she remembered everything without him by her side? What would happen? What could be worse to happen, other than to have to face her death alone?

But...

Maybe this was for the best.

At least, he wouldn't have to suffer, to witness her die in front of his eyes again.

She blinked her tears away. It was only three days that left for her, yet he wasn't here with her.

3 days.

2 days.

A day.

...

Odd. She didn't die even if it was over three days after she remembered everything. It had been weeks, even. Normally, they always would find each other no matter what the circumstances. Somehow, they always would reunite and she eventually would fall in love with him. Everytime she remembered, she would die always in front of his eyes but it didn't this time.

She knew why.

It only worsened everything for her because her feelings, her love barely started to eat her away. Her yearning for him was unbearable. She could feel him and she wanted nothing but to fly away to his side right away. However, she couldn't leave her family, not in this condition when her family started to fall apart

As if he could read her mind and see through her, her father had patted her head and told her with smile on his face "just go, Elizabeth".

Sobbed, she apologized to him, because yes, she chose him over everything, always "I'm so sorry, father... although I don't leave you...".

After Elizabeth told him about what truly happened between her and Meliodas, it tore his heart, it hurt him to know what his beloved daughter had to go through from now on even after what they had been going through all this time "you and Meliodas only loved and lived for each other. Nothing's wrong with it. If you truly love him, go for him, before you only can regret it".

Hugging him tightly, Elizabeth hiccupped "I promise... I'm gonna go back home as soon as I can with him".

"yeah. Don't worry about your sisters and me. We can take care of ourselves", Baltra hugged her back before he caressed the wet trails on her cheeks, looking down with fatherly, fond smile "and remember, no matter wherever you are and whoever you were in the past, you are my daughter".

* * *

Odd.

Something was off, Meliodas knew it.

That day after he heard about her missing from her home in the Liones Castle, Meliodas found himself with Elizabeth and Hawk by the side of his bed.

Oh, right. He suddenly felt this pain on his hearts, as if his hearts were torn apart but before he totally lost his consciousnes, he remembered that someone had come into the tavern and as she saw him falling down to the floor, she instantly ran to his side and reached out her hand "Meliodas!".

"what happened to you, dude? Are you alright?", Hawk lay his head and his front legs on the side of the bed "it's unlike you to suddenly lost consciousness like that".

"yeah, I wonder what's gotten into me as well", Meliodas sat as he scratched the back of his head but he froze next second when he realized just who was the one by his side. Meliodas froze at the sight of two pair of white wings from her back and the triskelion symbol of the goddess clan's member on her eyes, his throat went dry "...Elizabeth".

Oh no.

"hey, hey, easy there", cupping his cheeks, Elizabeth knew what kind of turmoil that was going through his heart "I'm not gonna die in three days even if I have remembered. In fact, it's been weeks ever since I remembered everything".

Meliodas couldn't believe this. How?

Teared-eyes, after she told him how she loved him and she missed him, she grabbed his hands, leaning her forehead on his "Meliodas, we have the chance to break our curses".

* * *

**A/N:**

_so it's like, we knew that Demon King is a trash and such a jerk who never regret his action to curse his own son but what if Supreme Deity interfered here where she regretted what she was doing and willingly to give chance for her daughter and her daughter's lover to break the curse? AU where Elizabeth remembered but not die._


	2. Pseudo-Elope

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**Chapter 2 – ****Pseudo-Elope**

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* * *

Hawk stared in astonishment to the couple who sitting on the bed in front of him.

Okay, he recalled that today, Meliodas looked uneasy and went tense when listening to the gossip from drinking customers about the missing third princess of Liones Kingdom. Suddenly, Meliodas started to act strange. When he leaned his body down with his palm on the table and his other hand on his chest, Hawk asked if he was okay. Without warning, Meliodas just collapsed unconscious and there, Elizabeth barged to their tavern at the same time with a loud cry of the tavern owner's name. After apologizing to the customers and telling them that they had no choice but to close early due to Meliodas' declined health, all customers (seemingly didn't mind at all thanks to her charming beauty) left the tavern with the bill on each table (which Hawk gathered gladly and put on the pouch) before going to check on the second floor where that strange girl (who surprisingly strong enough to carry Meliodas) and his fellow comrade. So Hawk saw what happened in front of him, the poor little pig gawked in wonder.

"oi, you two don't forget something here?", the pink pig huffed, clearly demanded explanation "don't just go into your own world as if I don't exist!".

Turning her attention to Hawk, Elizabeth's eyes that had turned back to her bright blue now sparkling in delight with the excitement of a child before she caressing Hawk "aw! Cute talking pig! I asked one to my father on my birthday once but never got it!".

"she can stay with us!", Hawk's eyes lit up as well, feeling entirely pleased by her kind treatment. Well, she treated him well compared to Meliodas. Speaking of which, Hawk realized (wondered even, ever since Elizabeth barged into their tavern) that Elizabeth didn't bring anything "but... say, Elizabeth, do you even have the change of clothes?

"now Hawk mentioned it... Where is your belongings?".

Elizabeth innocently tilted her head and smiled sheepishly "...I guess I forgot to bring it all when I ran away from home. I fled to here with flying straight from my house so yes, I didn't bring anything but the clothes I'm in now".

"well, well, well, matter not for me. You can just pick the uniform of my tavern or later, I can buy some clothes for you when we drop by in the nearest town".

"Meliodas, I know you are a weirdo, but you sure have weird taste of a woman", Hawk snorted, thinking of how Elizabeth went convincing the customers that she could take care of her 'lover' alone (departed customers jawdropped when she told them that) "not that I'll protest though, as long as she's a good woman".

With her wings on her back retracted into her body and disappeared, Elizabeth blinked her eyes, staring down to Hawk "...Wandle?".

"huh? no, my name is Hawk", Hawk wondered even more who was this girl _"come to think of it... when the first time we met, Meliodas also called me Wandle. Just who is this girl and that Wandle?"_.

"it was my first impression of him as well", Meliodas flopped down out of his bed "okay, I guess we can talk about it later privately, Elizabeth. Now, I guess we have to welcome our guests who will come here soon...".

"are you sure, you're okay?", Hawk tilted its head "and what do you mean by guests here?".

"oh, about what happened to Meliodas... perhaps there'll be a change on his body. Well, I guess I can explain about it later. It's also the reason of why I had frantically, desperately come here all the way from my home", Elizabeth chuckled nervously before straightening her body, just like Meliodas, she realized the upcoming uninvited guests as well "in three seconds—".

Meliodas counted from three and when they heard the knocks (loud banging, actually) from the door downstairs, Meliodas scratched his head "told you".

Meliodas told Hawk to just hide Elizabeth on the warehouse and gave her the new clothes in the process as Meliodas went to deal with those annoying men. It was when she saw that Meliodas was lifted off of the ground on his collar by one of the Knights, Elizabeth felt irritated and overprotectiveness arose on her chest thus she quickly snatched Meliodas from the startled (seemingly) lower-rank Knight.

Oh, would you look at her? Elizabeth wore white mini-skirt, a pair of thigh-socks, low heels and dark blue top sleeveless that showing her bare back with pink tie on her collar, dark arm-vest on one hand. Her clothes perfectly wrapped her curves. Just if Elizabeth didn't hold him back, Meliodas would gladly punch them all for dare to ogling her voluptuous body.

With innocence and sincere smile, Elizabeth allowed them to go check in their tavern "my apologize, Sir Knights. We have no idea about what do you mean with the Rust Knight that you demanded us to show you but we have closed early due to my husband's not feeling too well. Could you leave us right away after you check on our home sweet home by yourself if you still have suspicious on us for hiding this so-called Rust Knight here in our tavern when I still have to tend to my husband and our pet?".

With mischievous sparks glistening on his eyes, Meliodas hugged her back and went with all groping to her butt and breast "fret not, dearest wife~ Just with touch you like this, I'm feeling well already".

Too shocked by this, Hawk flatly collapsed backward with its mouth hanging open, just like poor five men in front of the door. After the four of them wandered the tavern and found nothing plus they already had had enough to see Meliodas and Elizabeth being lovey-dovey, their leader Alioni cleared his throat before excusing themselves "well... we apologize to interrupt your... intimacy, ma'am and sir. We'll be in our way".

Meliodas and Elizabeth simply waved their hands to them as they were still busy on their position where Elizabeth sat on the table with Meliodas sat on her lap, still clinging to her "good luck to find whatever you want to find~".

After the door closed, both exhaled long, heavy relieved breath before Meliodas asked "care to explain to me about the Rust Knight they mentioned? It was you?".

Elizabeth closed her eyes thoughtfully "...well, I am".

Now it was only the three of them, Meliodas and Elizabeth explained to Hawk.

After Meliodas explained about their curse and how it worked, Hawk burst out into crying mess "EVIL! Your parent are the most evil parent I've ever known! Even my Mom never punched me!".

"oh, Hawk... don't cry, now we have the chance to break it, we needn't to worry about me dying again. But we have a lot of things we need to take care of", after calming down the crying pug, Elizabeth explained to Meliodas and Hawk that on her journey to here, she wore the armor when she went to the village just to get the foods and drinks. Following her strong instinct to find him through his presence, finally she could get here but she threw away the armor on the nearby village before she barged into this tavern "had I known those lower-rank Knights would find that armor, I'd have tossed it farther from here".

Meliodas hummed before looking to her from head to toe "and... of all clothes, why did you choose this one?".

"with my magic power still half-awakened, I'm afraid the back of my clothes will be torn when I have to use my wings so I chose this although I rather liked that pink sleeveless top", Elizabeth thought back to the white dress she usually wore in her days as the Goddess. This one she wore right now was not too different with that, she thought. Playfully rolling her eyes to Meliodas, Elizabeth poked his nose "and also, I know you'd like this~".

Meliodas said nothing as he buried his face on her breast instead. Damn. She was right.

"both of you, just go to your room", Hawk trotted closer with deadpan before shouting in disbelief "and should you pull that stunt just to chase them away?".

Meliodas crossed his arms with mischievous grin "it worked, right?".

Hawk shook his head "I can't believe those guys leaving us easily... what if they go back here with their superior in case they don't believe you?".

Meliodas lifted his thumb pointing himself "at that time, I will just deal with them".

Elizabeth really hoped they wouldn't need to do it "and thankfully, they're only the lower-rank Knights. Had it been Holy Knight Apprentice or Holy Knight, perhaps they would have recognized me... but for now, Meliodas, we have to clear your name. We have to gather the Seven Deadly Sins and save this Kingdom first".

Unfortunately, soon after Elizabeth finished her story about what happened to Liones Kingdom before she decided to find him, they were confronted by Twigo with Alioni and his gang. Meliodas told Hawk to run as he also ran to the woods, carrying Elizabeth bridal style until they were cornered on the edge of the cliff. After Twigo confirmed Elizabeth's identity as the missing third princess, Twigo thought it wouldn't be bad to give her to Gilthunder remembering Gilthunder was close to the first princess and perhaps, he could achieve something as reward. Alioni and five others felt relieved that the Apprentice Holy Knight wouldn't kill Elizabeth like they thought he would do. However, when Twigo asked her to come with them, Elizabeth refused.

Sternly, Elizabeth told as she hugged Meliodas "NO! I'm not leaving him! We're getting married so I will not go back to Liones Castle without him!".

After Elizabeth's shocking announcement and rejection to his offer, Twigo infuriated and attacked them with his sword. Of course, Meliodas could handle this. He pushed her to the ground, shielding her with his body like he always did.

Meliodas scratched the back of his head, standing up after Hawk ran for his dear life while calling for its Mom "well, well, well, what a pain... Looks like he wanted to kill us together no matter what after we just met again?".

"not gonna happen", Elizabeth knew her lifetime-lover could take this. Knowing she still had something on her mind, Meliodas helped her up to her feet and let her do what she wanted to do. With encouraging looks on his eyes, he gestured he was behind her to support her no matter what. Nodding her head with sweet smile on her face, Elizabeth looked down to him thankfully before looking up fiercely "do you seriously think I don't aware of what the Holy Knights are up to? I know you're planning to bring war to our Kingdom but guess what? You can try and struggle as much as you can, but I'm gonna gather all Seven Deadly Sins to stop Holy Knights' ambition to start Holy War and save my Kingdom!".

"such big mouth you have, princess", Twigo lifted his sword "verdict: die!".

"not gonna happen", Meliodas swung his broken blade to Twigo, using his **Full Counter**. After Twigo got slashed on his cheek instead, Meliodas smirked "as long as I'm with her, no one is allowed to touch her, no matter how many of you will come and turn your back against us. I'm the Dragon Sin Of Wrath, Meliodas. She's mine, and you're not gonna bring her anywhere".

After realizing who was he and Twigo lost from him, Alioni and the gang scurried away bringing Twigo with them, go back to the nearest fort to report this to their superior. Finally it was only the two of them, Elizabeth called him "...Meliodas, will you ever let me go?".

Meliodas blinked at that "it came from the very same person who has boldly and bravely announced that we're getting married and taking back your Kingdom no matter what?".

"Meliodas! I'm serious! We still have a lot to go through and I'm unsure of what's coming to us but—".

Her words stopped as Meliodas cut her off with a kiss. Elizabeth blushed furiously but she quickly gave in to her own desire and need, passionately kissed in longing and compassionate before they broke the kiss in need of air.

"stupid question. Why would I? Even after 3.000 years, I never let you go, ever. I'm not letting you go even more from now on", wiping her tears, Meliodas grinned mischieviously before he intertwined his fingers on her knuckles and leaned his forehead to hers "now, it's only **us** here and we've come this far, let's just hold on together no matter what will come to us. There is nothing to fear. I'm right beside you. I'm yours for all my life".

"Meliodas", Elizabeth burst out into joy tears before hugging her "thank you... I love you".

Meliodas smiled brightly "I love you".

"a-hem, hate to interrupt you two, but if you two have finished with it, just climb up here so my Mama, okay?".

Looking up, they found Hawk with Hawk Mama waiting nearby. Turning back to Elizabeth, Meliodas deadpanned "oh, Elizabeth. To celebrate our engagement, how about we have a little feast with roasted pig tonight?".

"PUGYA! Don't you dare to eat me or my Mom's gonna kick you out to the burning lava!".

Elizabeth's reaction to see Hawk Mama? Her eyes widened before she exclaimed "another pig! This one is really huge!".

* * *

**.**

**Omake : Their Reactions?**

**.**

When the shocking news about the unofficial engagement (or you could say it elope perhaps) between princess of Elizabeth Liones and Meliodas, the Captain of Seven Deadly Sins, was reported by Twigo to Gilthunder, Gilthunder who heard it when he had sipped his tea and reading the scrolls on his hand, spurted out the tea in shock and poor documents in his hands soaking wet.

Twigo flinched in fear, not expecting this reaction of his superior "...Sir? Everything's alright?".

"...sure, I'm just not expecting it at all", accepting the handkerchief from his subordinate, Gilthunder could play it cool but deep down in his heart, he was in turmoil as he felt like he was betrayed by both his idol and the little sister of his lover _"Meliodas, Elizabeth, how could you two? Behind my back..."_.

Later, Gilthunder went back to meet with King in his hideout "King, do you remember the third princess of Liones who went missing?".

Floating on the air while hugging his Chastiefol pillow, King blinked his eyes "uh-huh. You refer to the third princess of Liones Kingdom, princess Elizabeth Liones, right? The news about her missing has been heard everywhere".

"well, we found her already. My subordinates reported she was seen on the border near Camelot".

"good for you".

"we found out that she's with Meliodas, your superior, the Captain of Seven Deadly Sins", Gilthunder fully gained King's attention at that. Good. Let's see how the Fairy King was gonna handle this "when my subordinate found her and kindly asked her to go home, she refused to go home and said... that she's getting married with Meliodas so we assume that they eloped".

King fell off to the ground because he was too shocked.

"CAPTAIN, WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOU FOR THESE 10 YEARS?!", King screamed before floating on the air in circle motion _"oh no, this is bad! I have to find Diane first beforehand, before she hears this news from anyone, whoever they are! If she knew, maybe she would go to destroy all lands of Britannia with her tantrum due to her broken heart. Or maybe, there's a chance that she meets with the Captain and the princess then after they tell her about their engagement... No, no, no, it can't happen. I can't imagine how would she feel when she heard it. Wait, perhaps this is also my chance to finally win over her heart? nah, stupid King! What are you thinking, you dumbass? Think about how heartbroken Diane could be! You have to find her and stay with her for her sake! Maybe business with Ban still can wait, but on top everything, Diane is the most important thing right now"_.

Meanwhile on the White Dream Forest, luckily Diane didn't know about the news on the outside world thanks to this isolated place. When she sneezed several times, she thought someone was talking about her and Diane turned to the poor hide-and-seek Imps with glares "you... who is the one that speak about me?".

"EEK! No one of us, Lady Diane!".

Back to the Capital of Liones Kingdom, lifting his head up and down, looking at how King struggled with his inner turmoil was kinda amusing he thought, but thinking he had to give King time, Gilthunder decided to leave him for now and waved his hand "...I'm gonna tell this report to the Royalty".

Howzer, Griamore, Dreyfus, Hendrickson, the princesses and King Baltra were on the throne room as Gilthunder reported this and King Baltra, although he had prepared for this, he collapsed.

Margaret snapped her head "father!".

After their father regained consciousness and was crying on his chamber, Veronica stomped on the windowsill and shouted to the window "NO! Elizabeth, come back!".

On the Castle in Capital of Camelot Kingdom, Merlin was about to drink her tea when she taught Arthur. This was when they heard this news. Merlin choked on her tea while Arthur lifted his head with excited sparks, demanding more story that he didn't know about Meliodas and Elizabeth from Merlin.

Escanor knew this when he worked in his bar. He dropped (luckily) empty mug on his hand to the floor. Luckily he was still working on the bar and served his customers, otherwise he was gonna in turmoil like King did (hell, Escanor had it already).

Gowther (still in disguise as Armando) only tilted his head "...what is elope?".

Pelio jawdropped at that "Armando! You seriously don't know it? Even I know what is it!".

"no, young master, I mean I know what is elope but I don't get it, what's the point of elope?".

Pelio groaned and facepalmed. Stupid conversation between the doll with the young master continued for a half day afterwards.

Kind of the opposite with Gowther who was totally calm, in Baste prison, once he heard about this news from the guards in front of his prison who were gossiping, Ban kicked the door of his prison before he walked to one of cowering guard "yo, is it true? What you said just now really interesting. As long as I have known him, this is the first time I've ever heard him being interested on one particular woman and on top of that, eloped with the third princess?".

After he got confirmation from the guard, Ban smirked and decided to break jail "Cap'n, I'm gonna kill you if you don't make me your best man in your wedding~ wait for me!".

Meanwhile, the couple who were talked by all people around Liones Kingdom, Meliodas and Elizabeth got a fit of sneeze that worring Hawk as the pink pig looked up to them "are you alright? Even sneezes several times in the same time... You two really complete each other, huh?".

* * *

**A/N :**

_Why do I write this from the first place I wonder..._

_Surprise! So that's it for now, fellas. Pseudo-elope announcement came from the 3.000-years-of-length-time couple. Instead of wearing her pink top, I went straight to make her wear her other uniform (the one she wore when Meliodas died on season 2 *ouch_my_heart)._

_I was a bit conflicted about to reveal the deal and Supreme Deity's reasons here because I still arrange the conversation between mother-daughter (along with the reason that still unknown for the couple) so yeah, I will bring it forth on next chapter (the deal and the reasons, I mean). Think of this chapter as an interlude to entertain you all. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoy writing it. I admit I have fun to write their reactions here._

_To __**believergirl62**__ : oh, glad to know you like the story so far! It's exactly why I write this. I know, right? wonder why there's not much the stories like this so due to my own needs for not able to find stories that can satisfy me, then I will just write it myself instead then._

_To __**merendinoemiliano**__ : thank you for the support 3 and this is the third or forth I've heard the happy new year from you of each my stories (I mean you also mentioned it in my other stories with title "The Perfect Time", "King's Death, Queen's Birth" and this one). Still, thank you, anyway_

_To __**andrethefavorite16**__ : thank you so much, glad to hear it._

_To __**Welt Ende**__ : yeah well, knowing Meliodas, he will not lose his protectiveness but at least, he wouldn't have to worry too much over her like you said. Ha, I also can hardly imagine that Demon King will do or even feel the same as Supreme Deity here, ever. Will do, thank you for the support and I'd like to read your story further too~_


	3. Seraphina And Seraphim

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**Chapter 3 – Seraphina and Seraphim**

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* * *

**Note :**

_Seraphina (Ibrani) : Goddess_|_

_Seraphim (Hebrew) : the most powerful angels who have six wings_|_

* * *

**Liones Castle**

Elizabeth stopped in the corner, peeking to the door that guarded by two Knights. She lifted her hands and the sparkles of light appeared just above her palm "sorry, but I need you to sleep for a while, Holy Knights".

After she blew the sparkles of light to two Holy Knights who guarded the room, those Holy Knights slumped on the wall and fell asleep on the floor. Elizabeth picked her skirt and quickly went to the room where the Horn of Cernunnos had been placed. Closing the door behind her, she spread her wings and her eyes showed the marks of Goddess Clan member.

The Horn Of Cernunnos started shining before a voice spoke up "well, looks like I have a guest here. Hello, daughter".

"I will go straight, mother. I remember everything and this is the forth day but I don't die", Elizabeth lowered her head and narrowed her eyes "so, you really mean it when you said that you would change the way the curses work on me... but how about Meliodas?".

"like I said before, you two have to work together in order to prevent the revival of Demon Clan. Maybe you have realized it, no matter how strong the seal, it's been 3.000 years—".

"—and the seal started getting weaker. I do realize that much, especially considering what happened on Danafor...", Elizabeth thought back to the tragedy on Danafor and wondered how Meliodas must have felt, hoping he was still doing alright outside there "but you haven't answered my question. How about Meliodas?".

"ah, I see. You still feel doubt that I'm really gonna release you and your lover from the curses. I know you'd be skeptical and it's very logical, but I will not change the conditions. If you want to break your curse, you have to prevent the revival of Demon Clan, but in case they are revived, you have to stop Demon Clan's invasion that will only bring destruction to Britannia. If you want me to freed your lover from his curse, then tell him to figure out a way to open up the path between Celestial Realm to your world, or he has to fight against the Demon King and defeat... or should I say, kill Demon King".

Elizabeth hissed "for the first term to break Meliodas' curse, I understand and surely we can accept it but are you hoping me to tell him that he has to kill the Demon King, his own father, in order to break his curse?".

"oh, I think he will not mind at all, considering his father is a complete thrash. I admit at least, Meliodas is still better compared to his father and still worth of you considering his struggle for you these 3.000 years".

Elizabeth gaped. She forgot what she wanted to tell to her mother after listening to her mother's remarks on the latest part, did she seriously just blurt out she finally acknowledged that Meliodas was worth of her?

Next second, she heard her mother scoffed "oho, that's funny expression you have!".

Elizabeth felt irritation sipping on her and scowled "...mother, are you making fun of me?".

"well, as the proof that I really mean it that I will help you two to break the curses, I will send a 'gift' for Meliodas but considering this is something similar with blessing or should I say, sort-of purification, I have no idea about how it will work on Demon like him. Perhaps it will hurt him considering him being a Demon".

"you can't be serious—".

"—and you can't ask me to take it back, since I have sent it to him already".

"MOTHER! If something ever happens to Meliodas, I swear...", Elizabeth lifted her fists before giving up, turning her back "ah, forget it! I have to find Meliodas first!".

"one more thing before you go, Elizabeth".

Turning her head to look back over her shoulder "what is it?".

"in case you meet with your brother, just tell him that I don't care anymore about what he wanted to do. He can do what he wanted to do freely and there's no need for him to hide from me".

Elizabeth blinked at that "...do you finally forgive him, mother?".

"both of you are just the same in the end. The different is, your brother is a coward who expertly keep hiding from me for 3.000 years".

"well, can't you blame him? Whose fault this is, you think?".

"are you gonna leave or not?".

Elizabeth facepalmed, waving her hand "oh, right. See you later, mother!".

* * *

**The Boar Hat**

Elizabeth ended her story "and that's how I ended up frantically went here".

Hawk stared to Meliodas "...actually, how did your father raise you?".

"to summarize it all, I don't disagree with Elizabeth's mother that he's a thrash", Meliodas tilted his head with unimpressed expression "so, I feel like I've just got the jackpot but I don't even know what is the prize and I have no idea about how or what to do with it".

"and here I imagine that you just got the gift but you don't know what is it because you can't even open the box, Meliodas", Hawk snorted before looking up to Elizabeth "come to think of it, I'm confused now, Elizabeth... Actually, your mother is evil or not?".

"I don't get it, either. Wonder what's gotten into her till she changed her mind like this...", Elizabeth turned to Meliodas "well, we have done the body check last night after you lost consciousnes yesterday, but are you sure you're feeling well?".

Meliodas grinned and buried his face on her breasts, groping her like always "worry not. I'm feeling all better this way".

Hawk bit Meliodas on the hair "I know you are lovers but think about the privacy!".

Elizabeth chuckled nervously, asking Hawk to let Meliodas go "but speaking of which, have you been communicating with Merlin?".

Meliodas shook his head "for these 10 years, unfortunately not".

"I see", Elizabeth sighed, visibly disappointed "that's too bad. If Merlin were here, we would able to ask her to check on you and ask her about my brother".

Meliodas patted her head "don't worry, we can figure it out".

"do you have a brother, Elizabeth?", Hawk trotted to her "I mean, yeah, as a princess of Liones Kingdom, you have two adopted older sisters but as a goddess?".

"she has an older brother", Meliodas answered in Elizabeth's stead, pointing to her "his name is Lucifer. He eloped with human, even having children with her".

"my mother was really mad that time. The problem is complicated, you see, the woman of human race that my brother loved... she's married already. Her name was Faust. She was a scientist and sorceress, the wife of the Chief of Sages on metropolis Belialuin. Because of her starving heart, lacked of the love from her husband and wanted more knowledge of this world, she chose the wrong path. Lady Faust made the pact with the Demon named Mephistopheles. She gained what she wanted, all knowledge of this world she wanted and love from my brother but because she made a pact with Demon, what born of her womb... they're not human children", Elizabeth said with hint of sadness "Lady Faust died on the childbirth, giving birth twin sisters. First daughter was taken by Mephistopheles because she was born as Demon named Lilith. Later, Lilith's power was acknowledged by Demon King and she became the Queen of Succubus Clan".

Realizing Hawk's confusion, Meliodas clarified "when you have created the pact with demon, depends on how you created the contract. Sometimes, you have to consummate with the Demon so yeah, Lady Faust had had sex with Mephistopheles. That's why one of her daughters is being a Demon".

Elizabeth added "ah, and Lilith has two little sisters. The middle child is Merlin and the youngest child is Iseult. We don't know about Merlin, because as long as we've known her, looks like she is human although partly of her magic power more resembles with Demon rather than Goddess considering she's black magic user. Only Iseult who earns my brother's blood as a Goddess".

"wait, by you mean Merlin, is it...", Hawk gaped, pointing to the wanted poster of Merlin on the board. Earning Meliodas and Elizabeth's nods, Hawk squealed "SERIOUSLY!?".

Meliodas covered his mouth, holding back his laughter _"oh, wait until you meet our son and you find out that he's married with Iseult"_.

* * *

**Celestial Realm**

"_so she has reunited with Meliodas. Good, at least with Meliodas is around her now, he can protect her"_, Supreme Deity tapped her fingers on the table _"maybe you and Meliodas would think that I only take advantage and use you two, but this is necessary. I need to make sure this world is safe enough for her to live on, before I can let her meet you two_".

Little girl who wore loose white gown with bare-back that revealing the six wings attached on her back ran into this room. Her long straight blonde hair threaded with silver tresses. She had heterochromia eyes where her left eye was Emerald orb and her right eye was Sapphire blue "grandmother!".

Looking down to the little girl who leaping to her lap, Supreme Deity smiled fondly and ruffled her hair "welcome back, Seraphina. How are you doing today?".

"I can create Omega Ark now! I still have a lot to learn, though", Seraphina puffed her cheeks before she asked "nee, nee, grandmother, when will I able to meet mommy and daddy?".

"not yet, dear. It's still too dangerous for you to go to the Earth", when she saw sad expression on her grand-daughter's sulking face, Supreme Deity kissed her forehead "don't worry. Your parent are still working hard, I also will help them so you can meet them".

Seraphina perked "really?".

Supreme Deity reassured with a sweet smile "yes, of course".

Seraphina hugged her "yay, thank you, grandmother!".

Supreme Deity knew what was the Demon King up to. That was why she had to make sure her parent's problems would not endanger her life and her could meet again, safe and sound. Although Seraphina was the Seraphim (the most powerful angels who have six wings as the proof of their power), she was still a child. She didn't want to risk her grand-daughter's life with revealing her identity when Demon King and his underlings were still doing their plan. Even Elizabeth and the Four Archangels (okay, one of them, Tarmiel indeed had six wings but he was still too weak to be included as Seraphim) only have four wings. True Seraphim had a sign on their body with six wings. The true Seraphim that Supreme Deity knew other than Seraphina, only two of them. Only her son, Lucifer and his daughter, Iseult.

Seraphina crawled up to sit on her lap before lifting her hand "grandmother, can I borrow your orb?".

"sure. What do you want to see?".

"I want to see how my brother's doing. Last time I checked, they went to Dungeon to save big sister Iseult but I don't too worry about them. I'm sure they can save her", Seraphina giggled "after all, uncle and brother are really strong~".

* * *

**Baste Dungeon**

Ban said with his sing-song tone "it's been noisy for a while... did someone escape?".

"it's you, idiot".

Looking behind, Ban met the man with white hair and red eyes cladded in black "ha? Who the hell are you?".

"I came here only to save my daughter. Don't mind me", he simply walked away passing him by, but when Ban caught him by the back of his collar, he glared to him over his shoulder "...what?".

Ban felt chilled on his nape, and he knew this man was just like his Captain, someone you shouldn't be messed up with. However, Ban wasn't gonna show his uneasiness. Instead, he smirked and carefreely threw his hand over his shoulder "how about we have the deal? I'll help you to save your daughter and you have to help me to find the new clothes and weapon once we get out of here".

He seemed in deep thought. In fact, he could handle this alone but oh well, maybe having an aide from human wouldn't bring harm. He sighed in the end "...fine. I guess it's not too bad idea".

"deal, then!", Ban exclaimed cheerfully before he reached out his hand to him "my name is Undead Ban".

"my name is Lucifer", he shook his hand before looking around "well, actually... I came here with someone, husband of my daughter or should I say, my son-in-law. However, he ran off by himself and I have no idea where is he now, neither do I know where is my daughter taken as hostage".

"first, how did you get separated from your son-in-law. Second, you don't look like someone who have an already married daughter and son-in-law. Third, how could you look so calm like this?", Ban pointed out, caressing his jaw "what if your daughter's husband got captured?".

"oh, it's impossible. I know him too well. He's gonna slay them all before he ever gets captured. Unless he is surrounded by an army, to capture him is impossible. I know he can take care of himself and it's not him that I'm worried about. I'm more worried about my daughter", Lucifer casually walked over the collapsed knight on the floor "the problem is, he has this sixth sense, sort-of bond with my daughter that make him able to sense her presence. That's why we infiltrate here together, but he just went all by himself. That brat...".

Ban decided to follow him for now "and? Where are you going now?".

"you said you need clothes and weapon, right? From the blueprint of this place, this way will lead us to their armory", Lucifer pointed to the corner before narrowed his eyes "but looks like we need to clear the mess around here first".

"exactly", Golgius appeared in front of Lucifer "I don't know who you are, but we can't let you go to our armory".

Jude appeared in front of Ban "neither we will let you leave this place easily, especially you, Fox Sin of Greed Undead Ban".

Later, Friesia and Ruin joined their comrades. Looking at how they were surrounded by Weird Fangs, Lucifer sighed, pointing to Golgius and Ruin in front of him "oi, Ban, mind to get rid of those two in front of you? I'm gonna take care of these two in front of me, not to mention the type of person like them is the type of someone I hate the most".

"sure~ why not?", Ban cracked his knuckles "it's been a while ever since I fought someone, after all~ about five years, if I don't mistake it?".

Jude was about to make mocking insult but next second, Ban stood in front of him and already stabbed him with the stake that was on Jude's hand. Friesia swung her whip to Ban but Ban caught her whip and pulled her whip along with her. Before she knew it, Friesia was pinned down on the ground as Ban clutched her throat and slammed her to the ground.

Lucifer whistled "that's fast. Looks like I don't need to worry about him".

"yeah, say the one who show your back to your enemy during a fight, you fool", Ruin stood behind Lucifer and lifted his staff "he who strikes first wins!".

"on second thought, I don't think I need to fight at all", Lucifer smirked when someone kicked Ruin on the side of his neck, sending Ruin to the wall "told you".

Golgius stuttered "w-w-w-who the hell are you?!".

"oh, I don't think you need to know about it~", brunette-haired golden-eyed woman crawled her hand up on Golgius' helm before doing head-lock "because you will die here".

Lucifer leaned his head on his palm, casually sitting on top of Jude's corpse "ah, glad to see these two are doing well".

Ban poked his shoulder "um, they are...".

Lucifer clarified Ban's suspicion "what? They are my daughter and son-in-law. My daughter, Iseult and her husband, Tristan".

After Iseult released Golgius who collapsed forward to the ground, a man with long straight red hair whose his eyes closed appeared, telling that he had taken care of Ruin. When Tristan staggered, Iseult quickly rushed to his side and supported him.

Lucifer stood and approached them, giving a good smack on his head "idiot, why did you use your **Mad Enchantment**?".

Tristan chuckled bitterly "well, I can't help it... it's a shame, they stole my Sacred Treasure and took my wife when she wanted to take it back, so I lost it".

Iseult pulled Tristan's cheeks with fake sweet smile of hers "what my sister told you to not use that skill no matter how strong it is, huh?".

Ban wondered when he had better look on her _"who is she? Why does she look like Merlin? Also, this Tristan... he has some unmistakable vibes that similar with someone I know..."_.

"so, what are you gonna do now, Ban?", Lucifer turned back to the Fox Sin "after we've got back their Sacred Treasure, we plan to travel around in order to find someone. Would you like to join us?".

Ban smirked at that and accepted "why not? Besides, I also want to look for someone".

* * *

**A/N:**

_If you're wondering about why your mother changed her mind, Elizabeth, it's thanks to your daughter too. Surprise again. More about Supreme Deity and Seraphina, another conversation between Supreme Deity and Elizabeth, also our favorite Melizabeth moments next chapter~_


	4. The Way We Live

**.**

**Chapter 4 – The Way We Live**

**.**

* * *

About 3.000 years ago after she cooperated with Demon King to punish and curse their children, when her underlings of her brethren asked how did she feel about her daughter after she put such cruel curse as punishment to her own daughter, Supreme Deity simply told them with her cold, venomous tones "I have no daughter".

His underlings flinched and cowered, for them afraid of her wrath. Suddenly, Supreme Deity felt strange flickers of magic power from certain someone. Calculating from the direction, Supreme Deity knew it had come from where Meliodas and Elizabeth's corpses lying with intertwined hands on that plateau.

Spreading her wings, she told her underlings to stay "I need to check on something".

When she arrived there, nothing was wrong neither something changed, except the fact that something moved in between Elizabeth's thighs. Supreme Deity crouched to lift the fabric of her daughter's skirt that covered whatever wriggling under it. Supreme Deity's eyes widened and a startled gasp escaped her mouth when she saw a baby.

Wait, what?!

Undoubtedly, it was a baby, a girl to be more precise. Supreme Deity could say that she was just like the perfect combination of her parents. Demon and Goddess bloods flew through her body. She was also fulfilled by magic power from both her parents. Her eyes and her hair too...

Supreme Deity frowned. She reached out her hand to her with intention to just send her to follow her parents but strange thing happened when the baby started wailing loudly.

Suddenly, six wings sprouted out of her back along with the red mark on her back, Supreme Deity gasped in shock "what in the world?".

This familiar red mark in shape of a sword with six wings around it appeared on the baby's back, right in between her shoulders-back under her nape. Supreme Deity knew what exactly this mark because the familiar mark had appeared on her son's body when he was born "it can't be... she's a Seraphim too?".

Seraphim was known as the strongest of her brethen. Despite who her father was, even her mother was not born as Seraphim, this baby was born as a Seraphim?

Interesting.

Supreme Deity reached out her hand to wrap the baby within an orb and someone landed behind her.

"wait", silver-haired man with six dark-feathered wings from his back straightened his body "what do you want to do with Elizabeth's child?".

"oh, so you finally show yourself, huh?", Supreme Deity glanced backwards with a glare "what do you want, Lucifer?".

"don't answer my question with question. You haven't told me yet about what you're planning", lifting his head up, Lucifer's eyes gleamed in red "what do you want to do with Elizabeth's child?".

Supreme Deity smirked, challenging "I believe you should have known me better than anyone, son".

"I hope you don't plan to raise her in order to make her the weapon of our Clan like how you did to me and Elizabeth", Lucifer turned paler when he saw the sparks of his mother's eyes "...you did".

"and? What you're gonna do now, with knowing what I'm planning with this child?".

Lucifer knew he wouldn't stand a chance against his mother, but looking straight, he saw Meliodas and Elizabeth's corpses who holding each other's hand "...for the sake of my little sister, I can't let you do it".

When his son prepared his weapon and activated his magic power to attack her, Supreme Deity sighed and reached out her hand "...idiot".

Obviously Lucifer lost and he fell from the heaven as the fallen angel he was.

* * *

That day on the Celestial Realm, one of her underlings barged into her den "Supreme Deity!".

Supreme Deity snapped "what? Don't you see, I'm rather busy now? Mention your business, quick".

"my apologize, but we have to report this to you immediately", the superior of her scientists, the Head Scientist, Dr. Mercy kneeled "the Seraphim... she's awake".

Listening to the Doctor and Head Scientist's remarks, Supreme Deity and her underlings immediately went to the main laboratory where they had put the Seraphim, Meliodas and Elizabeth's daughter. They barged into the laboratory and found the Seraphim who looked like a human child in 3-4 years old. She was still inside the tube where they had placed her within the tube fulfilled with water just like mother's womb. Slowly, she opened her eyes. After looking around, the glass of the tube which had confined her, shattered into pieces before she floated down to the floor. After she landed on the ground, she tried to walk with her frail and wobbly legs but ended up failed.

Looking around, she blinked "...Mommy? Daddy?".

Green-eyed man with long straight peach-haired that tied into half bun and cladded in doctor-like white robe, Dr. Mercy was the first one who approached her and he greeted cheerfully "good morning, how do you feel?".

She merely blinked innocently when Dr. Mercy wrapped his white robe around her and picked her on his arms "who are you? Who am I? Are you my father?".

"you sure talkative like your mother", Dr. Mercy chuckled sheepishly before he introduced himself "I am Dr. Mercy, you can tell that I'm a doctor who work in your family for generations".

A name, huh? Sure, she would need it.

Realizing Dr. Mercy's questioning looks, Supreme Deity sighed and shrunk her size before she reached out her hand "let me carry her, Dr. Mercy".

Not only Dr. Mercy, even her underlings blinked warily to her. Please, it was not like she would kill her or something in front of them.

Carefully and hesitantly, Dr. Mercy handed the Seraphim to her "sure, Your Majesty".

Looking up to the previously-huge-figure-who-shrunk-herself to the point she could carry her, after Dr. Mercy handed her to her, Seraphim tilted her head and blinked innocently "are you my mother?".

"no, I am Supreme Deity. Your mother, Elizabeth is my daughter and you are her daughter so I am your grandmother", snapped her finger, Dr. Mercy's white robe turned into beautiful white dress that wrapped around the newly-awakened Seraphim. Supreme Deity maybe didn't realize it, but little smile with fond on her eyes appeared as she gave her name "your name is Seraphina".

When Supreme Deity decided to raise Seraphina and trained her, her underlings murmured to each other about what was the Supreme Deity planning.

After Seraphina was brought by several maids to clean her up and got her new dress, Dr. Mercy was the first to ask her "Your Majesty, do you intend to make her as your successor... or should I say, living weapon of our clan just like Lord Lucifer or Lady Elizabeth?".

Mercy's subordinates gasped, some called his name or even questioning their superior's sanity.

Supreme Deity simply answered "everything is fair in love and war, Dr. Mercy. I'll do whatever needed to be done for the sake of our clan. If that child can be the key of our clan's victory and glory, then I will raise her into powerful warrior despite who is her father".

Dr. Mercy gritted his teeth before crossing one hand before his chest and bowing his body "allow me to be her personal doctor. It's no problem at all, is it not?".

Supreme Deity stared down to him dubiously "...let me make sure about one thing, Dr. Mercy. Your decision this time, does it because of your mercy or empathy? Considering you are the one who raised my children...".

Dr. Mercy lowered his head further and closed his eyes, hopefully his voice didn't betray him "no, it's simply because of my obligation as a doctor. Little Lady's condition is still unstable and fragile. She is still too delicate compared to Lady Elizabeth and Lord Lucifer. You will need her to be healthy if you want to raise her into a powerful warrior of our clan like Lady Elizabeth and Lord Lucifer, am I right?".

Supreme Deity trailed off but in the end, she gave the permission "...very well. I think unlike Lucifer, Seraphina is far more like her mother. Let's just hope she will not end up as **'Fallen Angel'** like Lucifer, **'Cursed Goddes'** like Elizabeth or **'Angra Mainyu'** like Faust".

* * *

Ever since that day, Seraphina kept following Supreme Deity. Wherever Supreme Deity was, she would be seen with her just like a mother hen with its chicks (along with Dr. Mercy in tow).

That day, Supreme Deity felt irritated and told her to get lost out of her sight "just go away. I don't like children".

Seraphina who reached out her hands to her, froze at her place.

Dr. Mercy was about to protest that she was gone too far with her words, to say it to a child like her... but next second, Seraphina did something unexpectable (but not too surprising, considering her mental state as a child).

She did what a kid would do when they were rejected by an adult they thought of as their parent-figure or protector.

Seraphina cried, loudly bawling, even throwing tantrum. Terribly.

If you thought it would be like how human child throwing tantrum, you were entirely wrong.

At first, Seraphina only sat on the floor and started crying. However as she was crying, the magic power was emanating from her body. Several fire ball appeared on the air, burning whatever or whoever came near it. Thunder came out of her body and struck everywhere randomly, even collapsing nearby pillar in the process. Storm and strong wind blew several of Supreme Deity's subordinates who tried to come closer to Seraphina in order to stop her, but ended up flying somewhere outside of the castle.

"Mercy, calm her down!".

"princess, please don't cry!".

Once the tantrum was over, Supreme Deity ordered her advisor to make sure they had to repair these place. Seraphina was still crying, but only sobbing.

Dr. Mercy carried her, swaying her in his arms "there, there, no need to cry again, princess. The Lady didn't really mean it".

Seraphina bawled loudly "but grandmother said she doesn't like me!".

Supreme Deity sighed heavily. Lucifer and Elizabeth were timid and calm when they were children, so she wondered from where Seraphina got her temper? Must be her father. Supreme Deity had a feeling that Meliodas would protest about how could it be his fault.

Earning the collective stares from Dr. Mercy and the others, Supreme Deity snatched Seraphina from Dr. Mercy and carried her, grumbling slightly as she swaying her on her arms "stop crying already. I didn't really mean it".

Sniffling, Seraphina looked up with hopeful eyes "...really? so grandmother didn't hate me?".

"_that's what she's worried about?"_, Supreme Deity ruffled her head "of course. If I hate you, I will not raise you, right?".

With innocence of a child, Seraphina smiled brightly and wrapped her arms around her shoulder to hug her, surprising Supreme Deity. Thinking it couldn't be helped at all, Supreme Deity sighed and patted her head.

* * *

That day, when she just finished her works and about to check on Seraphina, Supreme Deity overheard the conversation between Seraphina and Dr. Mercy on Seraphina's chamber.

"...Dr. Mercy, do you have parents?".

"of course I do, princess. Every people in this world have parents".

"then why did I not have father and mother?".

"no, princess. You have parents. Your mother and your father are still alive".

On this, Seraphina sounded like she was about to cry "then where are they? Why did they not stay with me, or even come to see me? Do they hate me or do they not want me at all? That's why, I have to stay here and live with grandmother, you and everyone who work here? That's why, I've been confined here and not allowed to go outside at all?".

"princess...", Dr. Mercy sounded unsure but he tried to convince her "trust me, princess. Your parents will never abandon or neglect you. They never hate you, ever. Have I ever lied to you?".

Supreme Deity leaned her head and back on the wall before walking away. She narrowed her eyes slightly _"Elizabeth... Lucifer... actually, why should we turn into like this?"_.

* * *

After Elizabeth died again for the 106th times, Supreme Deity covered her eyes with her palm. She truly regretted it after 3.000 years passed. Too blinded by her anger to her daughter, Supreme Deity did put the curse on, even agreed to cooperate with Demon King to curse their children. What should she tell to Seraphina about her evil deeds to her parent? How she would react over it?

Supreme Deity covered her eyes and laughed bitterly.

It was obvious, right? Obviously, Seraphina would hate her. However, this was something Seraphina needed to know and she should hear about it from Supreme Deity, not from other person. After asking Dr. Mercy to leave them alone, Supreme Deity inspected Seraphina. When the 106th Elizabeth died, Seraphina physically was just like 9-years-old child but mentally, she was far more mature, thanks to Dr. Mercy's educations. After Supreme Deity told Seraphina about her biological parents and the curses, Seraphina's magic power exploded. Thankfully, Seraphina could control her emotions and magic power better now so it wasn't like when she was throwing tantrum, though the impact of her outburst was still enough to severely devastate half of this residence.

"...is that you?", Seraphina asked, demanded Supreme Deity to not lie and tell the truth "you cursed my parents?".

Supreme Deity didn't deny it "...yes, cooperated with Demon King".

"you're the evilest in the world! Evil! How could you do it to my parents!?", Seraphina started crying and reached out her hands, her magic power emanating from her body "you separated me with my parents and you raised me with intention to use me, take advantage of me! How could you?".

Supreme Deity lifted her hand to her subordinates who gathered in front of Seraphina's chamber door, gesturing them to wait outside before she snapped her fingers to make the door closed "whatever you want to say, your anger and hatred, I will receive it. You have every right to hate me and angry to me, Seraphina".

Seraphina gritted her teeth and cried silently. Surprisingly, she stopped her magic power before walking forward and cupping Supreme Deity's cheeks "...but you regret it, right? I do feel angry and I want to hate you for what you did to my parents, but I can't... I can't, because grandmother is the one who raise me... I know you, you are my grandmother and I can't hate you... so I forgive you...".

Supreme Deity blinked away her tears. She truly didn't deserve her forgiveness. However, perhaps deep down in her heart, she felt relieved because Seraphina didn't hate her and chose to forgive her instead. True, she wanted to raise her just to make her as a weapon at first but as the time passed by, she had grown fond of her.

Pulling Seraphina into her embrace, silent sobs wracked her body. When her grandmother hugged her tightly with her trembling body and apologized to her, Seraphina was crying as well. Covering her eyes, Supreme Deity had decided as she cried for how the impact of her evil deeds did to her children and her grandchildren. She made up her minds already, she had to repent her sins.

* * *

"you are an idiot, Elizabeth. Had you listened to me and just broke up with that filth Demon Prince, you wouldn't have to suffer like this", Supreme Deity appeared in front of Elizabeth before she reincarnated for the 107 times "why should it be him?".

"because only when I'm with him, I'm happy! When I'm with him, I feel alive! He saved me from my clan, he saved me from you, he risked his life and gave up everything for me, so why not him? It has to be him!", Elizabeth cried out loud her frustration, sadness and grieves over these 3.000 years. Not for herself, but for Meliodas "are you satisfied, mother? Are you satisified to see our suffering? In the end... just like Lucifer, I am only your tool, right?!".

Looking down to how distressed her crying daughter, Supreme Deity said in downcast "...I apologize".

Elizabeth snapped her head upwards "...eh?".

"before a goddess and princess of our Clan, you are still my daughter. You stole all that's left from me after I lost your brother. That's why, I couldn't control my wrath and I sprang all my frustration to you as the outlet", Supreme Deity cupped her cheeks "I know, after what I've done... I'm no longer deserve to call myself as your mother, but at least, let me try to fix it for you".

Elizabeth blinked her eyes, did she hear it right? did she just imagine this? "...mother?".

* * *

"Elizabeth".

Elizabeth blinked her tears away and opened her eyes slowly as she felt someone's hand cupped her cheeks. Looking up, she saw Meliodas looking down with his concerned eyes "...Meliodas?".

"what's wrong?", Meliodas wiped her tears that streaming down her face "why are you crying?".

Elizabeth told him she couldn't really remember her dream, but she indeed remembered the latest part of her dream where she conversed with her mother before she reincarnated for 107 times "Meliodas, do you think... my mother sincerely regretted her choice?".

Meliodas pulled her into his embrace, leaning her head to lie down on his bare-chest "well, honestly, Elizabeth... I can say nothing about her for sure but do you think... did she really mean it?".

Well, Meliodas had a point. After all, this was Supreme Deity they were speaking about. One of two petty cunning Gods who had been putting the curses on them.

"...I don't know, I'm not sure either about what has moved my mother's heart or she truly meant it when she apologized to me and said that she would lend her aide and give us the second chance", Elizabeth sighed in content, hearing to his heartbeat never failed to soothe her "I wonder what make my mother changed her mind, actually? If she truly changed her mind, ever".

"but if it's true, isn't it good?", running his fingers on her hair, Meliodas kissed her forehead "spill it out".

Puzzled, Elizabeth looked up "huh?".

"spill it out. I know you still have something on your mind".

"well... it's about the Sins. Merlin has been a close friend, a family for us. However, you think we have to tell the Sins about the curses?".

"how about we just figure it out later—", Meliodas pushed her down to the bed "—and let's continue to cuddle against each other?".

Elizabeth laughed brightly, patting his bare back "Meliodas! I'm serious!".

Suddenly, Hawk kicked the door and sighed exasperatedly "yo, lover there. We're about to arrive on our destination. Don't make my Mom waiting, okay? And don't blame us if you get injured on the lips due to the impact of my Mom's movement when you kiss each other like that".

With threatening smile, Meliodas pulled out his belt, swinging it as if it was a whip "oh, how about we roast you as our breakfast?".

Hawk cowered in fright "sorry! I just wanted to tell you that it's better if you two quickly prepared yourself for the day already!".

Elizabeth covered her breast with the edge of the blanket before she put both hands on his shoulders, shaking her head "don't be, Meliodas... I also will not want to get stomachache. How about you clean yourself up first while I tidy up this bed?".

Sighing heavily, Meliodas agreed this time. He touched her chin and gave a light peck on her cheek "I understand. Take your time, sweetheart".

After Meliodas went to bathroom, Hawk looked up with sparkling eyes to Elizabeth "Elizabeth, you are really a goddess... eh? Wait...".

Came to think of it, Meliodas only wore his short and Elizabeth was naked. They shared the same bed and if Hawk remembered, the pink pig indeed heard the woman's moaning and man's grunts.

Lifting its shaking hand, Hawk stuttered "Elizabeth, don't tell me you and him last night...".

When Elizabeth blushed furiously and covered her face with the blanket, Hawk collapsed before cried "NO! My Oasis is defiled!".

Meliodas opened the bathroom's door and threw the brush to Hawk "noisy, piggy. It's normal for us, so you should just get used with it".

After Meliodas and Elizabeth were done with clean-up, they went to the village nearby. Elizabeth asked in wonder "say, Meliodas. Actually, to where we will go?".

Meliodas grinned broadly "of course, to the village which produce the best ale. Bernia village".

* * *

**A/N :**

_In case you wondered it, yes, I took Dr. Roman from Fate/Grand Order as a model for Dr. Mercy here~ (I'm so attached to Fate Series lately, other than the Seven Deadly Sins)._


	5. The Way Gods Work

**.**

**Chapter ****5**** – The ****Way Gods Work**

**.**

* * *

After Ban got new clothes and the trio father-children (Lucifer, Iseult and Tristan) got back their Sacred Treasures (or stole one for Lucifer's case), they were about to just leave this dungeon but in the halfway, they were attacked by Golgious and Ruin. Well, most likely Ruin and Golgious tried to attack Iseult because they thought of her as the weakest. Fool men, they did the wrong turn. It only snapped Tristan and Lucifer.

With one hand wrapped itself around her waist and tightly secured his wife, Tristan's previous green eyes changed into golden as he grabbed Golgious' wrist when the fool man had tried to lay his fingers on his dearest wife "I see, you really want to die".

For Ruin, Lucifer had caught his staff when Ruin tried to hit Iseult with his staff. Lucifer broke the iron staff easily and as he lifted his head, his red eyes gleaming sinisterly as the staff shattered into pieces in his hands "you fool, do you think a mere human like you can win against us?".

Ban's eyes widened when he saw three pairs of bird-like wings came out of Iseult and Lucifer's back. Three pairs of dark feathered wings for Lucifer and three pairs of gray wings for Iseult. Iseult wrapped her arms around her husband's waist as the Baste Dungeon started shaking tremendously and crumbled due to Lucifer and Tristan's explosive magic power.

After Baste Dungeon shattered into ruins and they landed on the ground safely in between the ruins of this place, Iseult lifted her hands "father! Darling! You two overdid it again! Should you two destroy this place too in the process? Geez... what can I do with you two, such explosive temper you have?".

Leaning his back on the rock, Tristan deadpanned "Iseult, honey, can you blame us to be angry for them who trying to hurt you?".

Sitting on top of the rock and throwing the beaten black and blue Ruin to the ground, Lucifer smirked devilishly "just like he said, we have no boundaries for whoever dare to lay their fingers on our family members with intention to bring harm on us. The different is, unlike Tristan and his father, I have no mercy towards the weaklings who not know their place but dare to bring harm on my family".

Iseult facepalmed and sighed "father...".

Tristan nodded his head feverishly "no wonder mother said that you can be so hostile and you have no boundaries sometimes".

Ban whistled, he liked this man. However, their wings were what really invited his attention "say, are you two possibly... the remaining members of the Goddess Clan? I heard they have been extinct".

"Goddess Clan? heh", Lucifer scoffed "don't you dare to group me with those hypocrites. Only several of them that I acknowledge as good people, like my little sister and doctor who raised me and my little sister".

Yep, after he was claimed as '**Fallen Angel**', only Elizabeth and Dr. Mercy that he still considered as his family. Even his mother casted him aside like a thrash. Bad enough he lost his wife, he'd even not able to save his niece, Meliodas and Elizabeth's child from his mother's grip.

Looking up, Lucifer narrowed his eyes as the wind blew his fringes _"where are you now, Faust? Heaven or Hell? Wherever you are, I'm gonna find you so I can stay with you, even if I have to replace you or it will cost my life"_.

Iseult's words snapped Lucifer out of his reverie. She gently reassured "Sir Ban, I know and I believe you have so many questions to us, but I think we have to leave this place immediately and we can talk properly in another place. Don't you all agree with me?".

Lucifer, Tristan and Ban agreed with her this time. The four of them left this place immediately before the Holy Knights came here as reinforcement. Unbeknownst to them, there was a single woman cladded in black cape, carrying a coffin on her back who arrived here on the ruin of Baste Dungeon.

"death isn't what put the love into its end, Lucifer", wind blew her hood, revealing her long straight white hair that reached her hips. Her golden eyes blinked her tears away, for the grief that she couldn't help but feel, to witness such destruction that the man she loved bringing. Yearning, longing and grief mixed into ones in her heart as she remembered the happy memories of her old times when she was still a human who fell in love with him, the strongest angel from Goddess Clan, before they both fell from the Heaven to the Hell as the cost for the Sins they had "wherever are you, my beloved one, please... don't lose to your own darkness...".

"Lady Neiva, is there something wrong?", blonde-haired woman landed, her bat-like darkness wings shrinking into her back before she looking straight in understanding "it's unusual to see you crying like this, unless... you missed him, right?".

"I'm alright, Gelda", she hastily wiped her tears before she put down the coffin on her back. After she rummaged on the coffin for a while, she picked the shovel from her coffin "now, would you mind to help me? I'm gonna dig the graves and you just need to gather the casualties like always".

As her familiar ever since she broke her seal, Gelda bowed her head to the gravedigger "will do, Lady".

* * *

Not too far from the ruin of Baste Dungeon, on the campsite where they settled temporarily, Ban listened to Lucifer's story as they sat around the campfire after Iseult and Tristan (who clearly knew the story already) went to sleep, cuddling against each other within Iseult's wings that wrapped them like cocoon to keep them warm. Lucifer admitted that yes, he once was the part of Goddess Clan but then, he was claimed as the '**Fallen Angel**' after he failed his mission to kill Faust.

Lucifer told the story about the metropolis Belialuin that led by the Chief of Sages "and Faust was his wife".

Ban twitched his eyebrow, thinking the man in front of him was a bastard "...excuse me, you already know that she's already taken, yet you still dared to lay your finger on her?".

Lucifer scoffed and nonchalantly shrugged "what? It was her husband's fault for not able to make her happy. She cried when she begged to me, telling me to just kill her, so her sufferings would be ended. I couldn't even lay my finger on her to bring harm on her after she told me that she felt unloved".

Ban lifted his hand, he should have known it, everyone had their own reasons, including Lucifer so he asked him to continue "sorry to interrupt, so who ordered you to kill her and why? I mean, she was just a human, right?".

"she was suspected on creating the pact with a Demon in order to achieve whatever her goals. I was one of the strongest warriors of my Clan, so yes, I was sent to confront her. When I met her, however, what I saw was not the greedy, stone-cold-hearted woman like what people said about her. She was only the lonely woman who wanted nothing but true love from a man she could love to fulfill her starving heart. She had to marry with the Chief of Sage, her cold-hearted husband, in order to bring the glory and honor for her family. She was sacrificed by her family and had to go through the marriage without love from her husband. She fulfilled her starving heart with all knowledge of the world, but she never could fulfill her thirsty, for the cure of her starving heart was only love without she knew it", Lucifer leaned his chin above his intertwined fingers "so tell me, Ban. How could I kill her?".

Ban thoughtfully asked "before I answer your question, tell me, did she really create the pact with the Demon just like she was suspected?".

Solemnly, Lucifer lowered his gaze "...she did. She created the pact with demon named Mephistopheles and she got what she wanted the most. Love from the man she desired and all knowledge of the worlds. However, we're doomed. I was claimed as the Fallen Angel and I lost her when she gave birth".

Ban trailed off "...tell me honestly, Lucifer, why should it be her? Do you truly love her, or it was only your sympathy, or empathy?".

"stupid question, Ban. Of course, I do love her. It's simple, I love her because unlike all women of my Clan who tried to get my attention just for glory, she is the first, the one and only who could see and treat me whole as myself, not only because of who or what I was. Complicated, right?", earning Ban's approval hums, Lucifer smiled lopsided before he growled "also... she is the one who opened my eyes... to see how cruel and cunning the way Gods work...".

Ban gulped "what happened to her? You said she passed away when she was...".

Lucifer sighed before explaining that Faust was tricked by Mephistopheles and her own husband.

Mephistopheles planted his seeds on her after they had created the pact. At first, Faust refused to do the consummation with him due to her loyalty to her husband and her fear of what might happen later. Mephistopheles then tricked her, disguising himself as her husband, the Chief of Sages to seduce her passionately. Faust thought she finally earned her husband's love and she accepted the offer to do the consummation. However, when both Faust and her husband found out about it, Mephistopheles ran away back to the Demon realm and Faust was left alone to earn her husband's wrath.

After her husband was doing the cruel experiment and planting his seeds through artificial insemination instead of doing sexual intercouse because he didn't want to consummate with the defiled woman who had been tainted by Demon because she was tricked and accidentally slept with demon, Faust ran away from her homeland, looking for the place to die and at this time, she met with Lucifer. The Chief of Sages had asked help to Goddess Clan and ordered his mens to find Faust, telling that she was kidnapped by Demon. However, Supreme Deity had smelled something amiss here. She asked the Demon King about this and Demon King clarified he had nothing to do with this, because Mephistopheles was on Demon Realm. Supreme Deity asked Lucifer to bring his troops and find her, to investigate in case the Lady Faust planned something with the Demon. Faust refused to go home, she told Lucifer everything before he understood the problem and kept her with him instead. They lived peacefully on the secluded place where no one knew them, pretending to be the marriage couple but sincerely live their life happily. As long as they were together, they had fallen in love.

"my sister and her lover were the ones who found us", Lucifer chuckled lightly when remembering how complicated and disastrous the mess they had "well, I just knew that man is my sister's lover that time. What I knew before, they were enemy, and then they turned into lovers".

Though their happiness wasn't last long. When they knew that Faust was pregnant, she told him to just leave her because she didn't even sure who was the father of this child, it could be from Mephistopheles, the Chief of Sages or him.

Ban felt interested "and the children?".

Lucifer rolled his eyes "even I only could say it was a miracle".

It turned out that Faust who had earned the seeds from different men (three of them), gave birth the twin sisters, three daughters. Miraculously, Faust gave birth three different kind of daughters.

First daughter was a Demon named Lilith, the fruit of seeds from Mephistopheles, she was born with a pair of horns and wings, even with Demon magic power. Lilith was taken by Mephistopheles and she ascended the throne as Queen of Succubus Clan due to Demon King's royal decree (considering her heritage as daughter of Mephistopheles, the King of Incubus).

Second daughter was human named Merlin, the fruit of seeds from Chief of Sages due to the artificial insemination, she was a prodigy child who possessed the Infinity magic power. She was taken by her father, the Chief of Sages in order to keep the peace between the Goddess Clan and the Sages. She was raised by the Chief of Sages as his successor.

The youngest daughter was a goddess named Iseult, the fruit of seeds from Lucifer. Mostly her blood was belonged to Goddess Clan compared to human, you could say she earned 75% blood of goddess and 25% blood of human. She also possessed the magic power of Goddess Clan member, so obviously she would go with Lucifer.

Ban twitched the corner of his mouth and made funny expression "and with you, she...".

Crossing his arms before his chest, Lucifer deadpanned "what? Isn't it obvious? Through the sexual intercourse based on our love with Iseult as the fruit of our love, of course".

They heard someone snorted before it turned into mirth laughter, coming from Tristan.

Iseult smacked his bicep "honey, just go to sleep".

Lucifer smirked lopsided in amusement "that's right, just go to sleep, brats. It's not good for children to still wake up late at the night".

Next second, both Iseult and Tristan grumbled "stop treating us like a child, please".

Ban laughed before he thought about it. Okay, after he was given of all these things, he didn't want to doubt about his new friend and it wasn't like he had the right to say anything about his love life but he couldn't help it "Lucifer, what if... this is just 'what if', because given what happened between you two, I think she does love you... but if she doesn't love you and only take advantage of you, you're okay with it?".

"just because I love her, it doesn't mean she has to love me back and return my love, right? As long as she can be happy, even if she doesn't belong with me, it's okay. I hope nothing but her happiness, after all. If she could be happy with taking advantage of me, so be it", Lucifer waved it off when Ban tried to apologize, thinking that he had offended him "oh, don't worry, I don't feel offended. You are not the first to tell me that she only took advantage of me or perhaps, she didn't love me, only want to use me etc. Know this, Ban. Even if she hates me and betrays me, I can't help it but love her".

Ban couldn't help but thinking, that the kind of love that Faust and Lucifer had, perhaps it was what people usually called as true love. To still accept your lover just the way they were sincerely, like the one Elaine had to him. Ban smiled and sighed, remembering Iseult's story about how they tried to find the reincarnation of her mother, the love of his father's life "I hope you can find her, then... but tell me honestly, Lucifer, why did you tell me all of this? I mean, yes, I want to know and all these things, the mess you've told me, it's too much and barely unbearable but you just told me the truth without hiding anything from me. No one ever tell you that you're... being too honest and trustworthy?".

"well, to lie, to hide something from people and being honest are indeed different things, but think about this, Ban", Lucifer scratched his cheek and hummed thoughtfully before he smirked, leaning his chin above his intertwined fingers "first off, if I didn't even try to trust you and open my heart, I didn't think you would sit in front of me just to listen to my story and try to believe me. How could I be trustworthy person if I didn't even being honest with myself and other people? Second, I think someone who offered me to help me to save my daughter when we just met even if he asked something from as rewards, is a trustworthy and interesting person that I've finally found other than the people I've met already. Third, I apologize before, but I have an ability to read people's mind and heart so yes, I know deep down in your heart, although people thought of you as a bastard, actually you're a kind person that rarely existed even on your race".

Ban gawked before he leaped to start the wrestling with Lucifer "fuck, you've got me!".

Peeking through her wings, Iseult asked "do you think they can be a good friend?".

"I think so", Tristan agreed, doing the same thing with her "it's been a while ever since we've seen your father being honest and having fun like this".

Lying on her side, Iseult cuddled against his chest "...I missed mom".

Tristan caressed her cheek, giving a light peck on her forehead "well, to be fair, I indeed missed my parents, too".

Closing her eyes, she mumbled sleepily "hopefully we could meet them soon".

Tristan hummed "hopefully".

* * *

**A/N :**

_Okay, sorry if this is not what you expected but we will have Meliodas and Elizabeth next chapter._

_Surprise, for someone who asked me before in my another story 'The White Enchantress' (sorry, I forgot who), will I show Nel Hativa a.k.a Neiva in my another story, yes, I do! We even have her with Gelda (because I want to, hahaha). Also, just so we're clear, Faust passed away when she gave birth her daughters but she was reborn as Nel Hativa a.k.a Neiva. More about them all will be explained next chapter. See you later~_


	6. Unexpected Encounter

**.**

**Chapter 6 – Unexpected Encounter**

**.**

* * *

_He was rather similar with Mael, the 'Angel of Death' and the 'strongest Angel of the Four Archangels'. _

_Lucifer was also an existence feared by the Demon Clan. If his little sister Goddess Elizabeth was known as 'Bloody Ellie', he was known as the 'Prince Of High Angelic Order' or the 'Morning Star'. Not only he was __far __stronger than Elizabeth and Mael, Lucifer also the Seraphim, the strongest Angel with the highest rank of his kind, the caretakers of God's throne._

_As the successor of Supreme Deity, the next line to the throne, sometimes people thought he was too kind for unable to kill or hurt women and children no matter what their Clan, be it from Goddess, Fairy, Giant, Human, even Demon Clan. That was what made Mael earning the title as 'Angel of Death' instead of Lucifer. Not that he was unable to do it, because when he wanted it, __Lucifer __also could kill mercilessly. Lucifer just didn't want to take life meaninglessly._

_Only Elizabeth and Mercy who could understand it and never despised him for it. _

_After what happened between him and Faust, Lucifer was claimed as the 'Fallen Angel' or 'Beast No. 666, Satan'. As long as he remembered, Lucifer was rather different from what he thought of. Unlike his reputation in his Clan, Lucifer was softer than he thought. The proof was, he had seen him crying several times. First time was when Faust died on the childbirth. Second was when he saved Merlin from the destructed Belialuin, asking her if he could be her father. Meliodas wondered if __Lucifer__ cried too when he and Elizabeth died? _

_Because when Lucifer met with him and Elizabeth again, Lucifer was..._

* * *

Meliodas fell off of the bed and sleepily rubbed the sleep from his eyes, trying to kick the sleepiness. He didn't find Elizabeth and he wondered where she had gone, calling her _"what happened these days... was it dream only?"_.

Nope. Elizabeth poked her head through the door, coming out of the bathroom "yes? You're calling?".

Meliodas stared to her silver-turned-red fringes that tied into low-braids.

Oh, right.

* * *

**Yesterday...**

When they visited a village near their destination (Bernia village), they had to retreat immediately when they found out Elizabeth's wanted poster, complete with the sketch of her face. Once Meliodas, Hawk and Elizabeth arrived back on the Boar Hat who moved as they discussed this problem, Meliodas did the obvious.

"figure it out. It's not difficult to find the 16-years silver-haired blue-eyed princess, after all", Meliodas hummed and nodded his head. Lifting the brush and several pouches of hair-dye "so, what colors do you prefer, Elizabeth?".

"let's see", Elizabeth smiled and caressed his bangs "I prefer blonde-hair~".

"as long as it didn't make other people thinking that you two are siblings", Hawk scoffed as he trotted back to the kitchen "have fun, I'm gonna eat the scraps that Elizabeth provided for me. Just don't make strange sounds or create another member for this Boar Hat, okay? We haven't had the crib yet".

Elizabeth blushed furiously at the notion of Hawk's words and Meliodas contemplated to just put him into their urgent livestock. Elizabeth wrapped her arms around him to hold him down. Hawk squealed in fright, taking this as advantage to run away for its dear life.

Once Hawk was out of earshot and sight, Meliodas buried his face on her breast "I wonder how Hawk and the others will react once they find out about Tristan".

"and Iseult", Elizabeth cupped her cheek "well, as for my older brother, he has an expertise to blend with everyone no matter everywhere he is now, so I believe he will get along well with the Sins easily. However, Iseult is a shy girl and Tristan is timid boy".

"woman and man", Meliodas corrected "they're no longer children and they've married already".

"oh, right", Elizabeth rubbed her temples, trying to put it in her mind. She died when Tristan and Iseult were only children. Next time she met them again, they had turned into adolescent who fell in love with each other but before she could see their marriage, she died again. Next time she met them, they were marriage couple already so she was a bit clueless about her own son's love life (sadly, but Meliodas had convinced and reassured her many times that it was not her fault at all) "but come to think of it, considering how my brother reacted over our relationship... how did he react when he found out about Tristan and Iseult?".

Meliodas tried to hold back his laughter but failed. Next second, he smacked his palm on the table "pfft! He yelled 'NO' and cried, saying that he still didn't want to let go and hand over his little girl to another man as he hugged Iseult!".

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes "Meliodas, please don't laugh".

After he got himself together, Meliodas turned his back, walking to the counter "but once he got himself together, he gave the blessing with one condition".

"let me guess", Elizabeth rolled her eyes, lifting her forefinger and pretending to be stern like her brother "dare to make her crying or suffering, you die".

Meliodas exclaimed, lifting his thumb "that's right!".

Elizabeth facepalmed "geez, brother, it's just the same with how he reacted when he found out about our relationship, huh? Seems like he hasn't changed much".

"the different is, he tried to kill me when he found out about our relationship but he cried instead when he found out about our children's relationship", Meliodas flatly reminded her before he carried the tools to dye her hair and he put them on the table in front of Elizabeth "now, let's back to our main business. Which one do you like?".

"Hawk has a point. I prefer blonde hair but I also don't want if people think of us as siblings", Elizabeth contemplated before she grinned broadly "red".

Meliodas tilted his head and inquired "red?".

"not red pinkish like I had when I lived as 'Liz' on Danafor", Elizabeth clarified, not missing the pain on his eyes and it sent guilt on her eyes, but she decided to live it down "I prefer bright red like Tristan's and my 99th version, 'Bethany'. I guess it will do in case we meet them later so people won't be mistaken us as siblings".

Meliodas hummed in approval "good point. I think it will do".

* * *

**Back to now…**

Elizabeth trimmed her bangs a little, tying her hair into fishtail braids that she let loose over her shoulder before swirling in front of Meliodas and Hawk after she wore her uniform "how?".

Meliodas grinned lopsided and wrapped his arms around her back with his legs around her waist, as usual shamelessly burying his face on her breast "I approve".

Hawk indignantly shouted in irk "oi, is this gonna be your routine every morning!?".

Instead, Elizabeth smiled brightly and inhaled his scent. She sighed in content. blissfully leaning her head on his crown with both her hands carrying him "I don't mind at all with the groping. Touch me more~".

When Hawk collapsed backward with its back flat on the floor, Meliodas snickered over his shoulder with a naughty spark "just stop trying, man. It's useless".

Hawk huffed and trotted to outside "do whatever you want then, newlywed".

Next second, Elizabeth squealed in delightful and Meliodas stomped on Hawk. They thought it was safe enough for Elizabeth to go wandering on the village with her disguise. To test it out, they went to Bernia village together but they found out they arrived on the wrong time (perhaps not, if you considered they could help them later). The villagers and Chief of village recognized them not too long after their arrival.

"oh, isn't it the Boar Hat's owner?", one of villagers recognized "and this girl?".

Meliodas wrapped his arm around her waist and exclaimed, squeezing her breast "she's my wife!".

Elizabeth bowed her body before wrapped her arms around Meliodas' hand "and I am his wife, Bethany. Nice to meet with you all!".

Of course, the villagers were shocked. You could even hear their reactions such as :

"EH!?".

"you've married already!".

"what the f*ck, man! Such hottie you have as your wife!".

Back to the main topic, the Chief of village apologized to them, it seemed like they visited here in the wrong time due to the terrible accident they had in their village because a Holy Knight stuck his sword imbued with his magic power, sealed the underground water source. After Meliodas and Elizabeth had figured out the reason of why the prankster Mead put the worm on Holy Knight's drink, they exchanged glances that Hawk wondered what did it meant, such identical nostalgic gazes. Actually, deep down in their heart, they just wondered if their son was doing alright. Their encounter with Mead rather reminded them with their son when he was still an innocence child who knew nothing. Elizabeth told the story of her childhood as princess Elizabeth Liones without telling out loud who she was, how she was pulling prank with climbing high tree which in result it made her father getting hurt. Meliodas also encouraged Mead that as a man, he had to take responsibility of his action and to not lie with his heart.

Elizabeth clearly was displeased when the two low-ranks Knights were laughing at villagers' struggles. After all villagers who had tried to pull out the Holy Knight's sword collapsed backwards in exhaustion, Meliodas snatched two mugs of Bernia ale from the low-rank Knights and drank it. Throwing the empty mugs on the ground, Meliodas grabbed the hilt of Holy Knight's sword, telling them as the payment of the Bernia ale he had drunk, he'd pull it out.

When Meliodas felt Elizabeth's hand on top of his, Elizabeth smiled "I told you, right? Wherever the battlefield, whoever our opponent, let's do it together".

Meliodas grinned broadly before they both pulled it out. Sprinkle of water burst out of the ground and Meliodas threw the Holy Knight's sword back to them. When two low-rank Knights stuttered as to who they were, Meliodas and Elizabeth exchanged glances before they comically put the stand like always.

Meliodas wrapped his arm around her waist, lifting his hand with cheeky grin "just passer-by marriage couple!".

Elizabeth wrapped her arms around Meliodas' shoulders and leaned her head on the crown of his head with bright smile "I am his wife!".

After the stunned two low-rank Knights ran away and Hawk scoffed, telling them to never come back, Meliodas and Elizabeth waved their hands to the retreating figures before the villagers cheered up loudly "cheers for the marriage couple! You are the Bernia village's savior!".

* * *

Meliodas knew, being a princess, surely 'Elizabeth Liones' never went shopping but with her past-lives memories mostly had been back, it was gonna be fine. So, when Elizabeth went shopping to buy some herbs and fruit with silver coins that he had given while Meliodas would go hunting for the ingredient of tonight's main dish, Tusk Bison.

Hawk had to admit, Elizabeth's presence here was really a salvation for him because with Elizabeth as their cook (one of Elizabeth's reincarnation was a chef, so obviously her foods were incredible, to the point Meliodas even compared her cooking with Ban's), not all food of the tavern would all end up as leftovers for the poor pig. Otherwise, this Tusk Bison surely would end up as leftovers for Hawk when the pig wasn't that big fan of beef.

However, Meliodas' hunting turned out to be unexpected event.

Meliodas had gone to where the villagers said they met with the Tusk Bison. Surely the hunting would be easy for him, but what Meliodas didn't predict, was the fact he would encounter his acquaintance.

Meliodas narrowed his eyes and saluted his hand above his eyes, thinking he saw someone was pursued by the Tusk Bison.

The familiar man with mustache, blue eyes and orange hair recognized him, running to his direction now "CAPTAIN!?".

Meliodas' eyes widened as he recognized his old comrade "eh? Escanor!?".

* * *

**.**

**OMAKE**

**.**

Listening to his subordinates' report, Gilthunder tried his best to not laugh, (though people still could see the twitches on the corner of his mouth) in result they thought that they saw Gilthunder smirked in excitement.

"_it must be them! Pretending to be marriage couple now, huh?"_, Gilthunder opened his eyes with the dangerous glint on his eyes "interesting".

The Knights on this room flinched, cowering in fear before their superior threw imbued-magic spear to the Bernia village that night.

* * *

**A/N:**

_Surprise! *chuckle I guess you don't expect it, but yes, instead of the last, I make them meeting with Escanor the first~_

_Sorry if it kinda short, but I'm rather busy these weeks lately so I cut it short here which actually this is only half of supposedly new chapter_


	7. Dilemma

**.**

**Chapter 7 – Dilemma**

**.**

* * *

Meliodas thought this was gonna be annoying, so he made it quick. After telling Escanor to pull off his glasses, Meliodas kicked the Tusk Bison on its gut and sent it flying to Escanor "Escanor, you may roast it as the celebration of our reunion!".

"as you wish, Captain", Escanor pulled off his glasses and his muscles bulged "hump!".

Meliodas landed on the ground. When he smelled the nice, good scent which had risen his appetite from the roasted Bison, he grinned lopsided and lifted his thumb "It seems like your ability hasn't changed, my friend".

After Escanor went back to his day form, Escanor sniffled "Captain! I'm so glad that I finally can meet you again!".

Meliodas chuckled and dragged the roasted beef "right back at you. Come on, let's go to my tavern. By the way, what are you doing here?".

"you opened the tavern as well, Captain? Actually, I have my own tavern and—".

* * *

"you're so dependable, Elizabeth", Hawk had to admit, he didn't expect she could handle this at first. Considering her high stature as a princess, obviously, she never went shopping before. That was before the pink pig remembered that she, in fact, had earned back all of her past life's memories. There was once when she was born as a merchant's daughter, so of course, she could handle this really well. Hawk puffed in delight "let's show Meliodas how well we're doing! And I want to see if he's doing his errand well or not".

Elizabeth chuckled at the pig's antics. Looking right and left, when she was sure it was only the two of them on the outskirt of the village, Elizabeth stopped and crouched in front of Hawk "Hawk, can we talk for a second?".

Hawk stopped and tilted its head "sure, what is it?".

"it's about **us**. I and Meliodas have discussed and we agreed, for the best...", Elizabeth narrowed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath "we decided to keep everything related to our problem as a secret, from everyone, even from the Sins".

"wait, you mean... everything related to your curses, his immortality, your perpetual reincarnation, your real identity as Goddess Princess and Demon Prince, **everything**?", Hawk pointed out and when the so-called Goddess princess nodded her head, Hawk didn't get it "but why? You told me—!?".

"Hawk, you were there when I reunited with Meliodas, remember? That's why we have no choice but to tell you. However, for the others? We have no idea of how they will react", Elizabeth shook her head "if you asked me why, Hawk, it's because this is **personal**. Merlin aside, the others are strangers. I only need their help to liberate my Kingdom, not to help us break our curses. They don't have an obligation to help us with breaking our curses. Merlin aside, I'm not sure... how the others will react, so let's keep this as secret, only until Meliodas thought it's the best to reveal everything, okay?".

"does it have something to do with Meliodas' race as a Demon?".

Even Hawk could tell, Demon Clan never had the best reputation. Demon Clan had been known as the vilest, kinda the opposite with the Goddess Clan (although, after listening to Elizabeth and Meliodas' constant rambling or stories, Hawk thought Goddess Clan could be worse than Demon Clan sometimes). People always thought of Demon Clan differently and just because the Demon Clan was different, they were treated poorly and it was unfair. For as long as Hawk had spent his time with these two, he couldn't help it but wonder, how could their parents put such the cruel curses upon their children? Meliodas was so mean sometimes, but he was a good man (although, Hawk wouldn't want to admit it out loud in front of him). Elizabeth was the real Goddess, just like her original Clan.

Elizabeth looked doubt "well, I don't know why... but it's also one of the conditions that my mother, the Supreme Deity, offered. She said it's for the best if the lesser people know about these complicated things of our personal problem".

Hawk sighed "...fine, I guess it's for the best, temporarily. However, what would you tell everyone, then? I don't think you will be allowed to just elope with... uh, no offense...".

"someone who claimed to be the criminal?", Elizabeth smiled, patting Hawk's head when the pink pig flustered. She stood and looked down with determination on her eyes "that's why, first of all, we need to gather the Sins and liberate my Kingdom from whatever the Holy Knights tried to do. I can help them to clean their name in the process and after that... we can figure out about what should we do with whoever tried to revive the Demon Clan and break our curses".

"and you two still will not tell the others about your curses even after you liberate your Kingdom if you two think it's unnecessary? What's the problem?".

"Hawk, it's just mine and Meliodas, **our** personal problem... all along this time, for these 3.000 years, we have been helped by my brother and his daughters, Merlin included. However, it's not like we never lost something. Meliodas can't die, he doesn't age and he has to witness his precious people including me, to die before him and left him alone. I kept dying and left him alone, that's why...", Elizabeth looked like about to cry before she offered reassuring smile "both I and Meliodas simply don't want to involve more people which might have caused more casualties. We don't want to lose more friends like Sins or you just because of our selfishness. Please, understand".

When Hawk cried, Elizabeth petted the pig "oh, my... I'm so sorry, Hawk. I didn't mean to make you cry".

Hawk sniffled "please, don't talk as if you're gonna die tomorrow and leave us...".

"I will not. Don't worry, like I said, if everything's going well, our curses will be gone and I will not die in three days", Elizabeth smiled "thank you, Hawk".

* * *

"we're home!", Elizabeth opened the door and blinked her eyes when she found her lover talking with the stranger. She went to the counter and put the fresh ingredients into the fridge "oh, we have a guest? Who is he, Meliodas?".

"let me introduce you to him! He is Lion Sin Of Pride, Escanor", Meliodas grinned broadly and lifted his hand to Escanor before pointing stunned Elizabeth and gawked Hawk "Escanor, she is Elizabeth and that pig is Hawk".

Escanor bowed his head politely "nice to meet you, ma'am".

Hawk burst out in shock "are you kidding me?!".

Escanor was shocked too "the pig is talking!".

Elizabeth blinked her eyes rapidly, feeling unsure "he is... Lion Sin Of Pride, Sir Escanor?".

Meliodas crossed his arms before his chest "trust me, I know what you're thinking, but the man standing before you right now, saying he has self-esteem issues would be an understatement".

Hawk snorted "oi, are you sure this guy isn't an imposter?".

"how rude! I'm one of strongest Holy Knight—".

Looking at how Hawk and Escanor argued, Meliodas contemplated for a moment before he snatched Escanor's glasses "oh, well. Maybe this will prove it".

Suddenly, next second Escanor's body grew bigger, his muscles bulged and he roared "how dare you to claim me, the strongest of my kind as an imposter, you insolent pig?!".

Hawk quickly hid behind stunned Elizabeth and deadpanned Meliodas "hi! I'm so sorry?!".

Meliodas threw the glasses back to Escanor's face (before the Lion Sin could destroy something in his tavern with his day form) and Escanor's body shrunk again.

With a slight flush on his cheeks, Escanor bowed his body and apologized this time "I truly apologize for scaring you, but Lady Elizabeth didn't look scared at all".

"Actually, I was surprised a bit, but yes, I'm not afraid", Elizabeth tilted her head and smiled sweetly "because why should I? You're not scary at all. Meliodas also said that you're a good man, so I believe you're not a bad person".

Escanor felt relieved that she didn't afraid of him, unlike ordinary people would do. He clasped his hand and shook her hand "ma'am, you really look like a goddess. It's a pleasure to make an acquaintance with you".

"and Meliodas~", Elizabeth turned to see Meliodas before she pinching his cheeks "I know you did it deliberately to tease Hawk. Don't be so mean!".

Meliodas smirked before he disappeared. Only to reappeared behind Elizabeth and crawled up to her torso, groping her as usual "don't be so mean like this?".

When Elizabeth moaned, Escanor blushed and noted to himself _"on the opposite, the Captain looked like a little devil"_.

Hawk huffed and groaned, but in the end, he let it be "they're always like that. You'll get used to it, bro".

"yeah, and one more important thing... Captain, so I've heard the rumor has it, that you *cough eloped *cough with... your lover, the third princess of Liones Kingdom, and I still remember the princesses", Escanor stared to Elizabeth skeptically "is she... princess Elizabeth Liones?".

"my, we are busted", Meliodas, still wrapping his arms around her torso, buried his face on her breasts this time before speaking with muffled voice "seems like your disguise is useless, Beth. Want to change it back to 'Ellie'?".

"well, considering those Knights have seen me and there's a chance their superior will recognize us...", Elizabeth missed her 107th reincarnation's real appearance which the perfect copy of her original too, not to mention she also realized Meliodas loved her original appearance although he had claimed about how he loved her no matter which one version of her. Elizabeth blushed slightly at the reminder before she quickly added "perhaps later when we have gathered all Sins? How about I change my hair every time after we confront the Holy Knight? The low-rank Knights don't be counted, so I will keep this red hair until next time we meet Holy Knight".

"if you think it's okay and it will not ruin your hair, I don't mind", Meliodas looked up from his position who still cuddling against her "but by you mean next time—".

Elizabeth smiled teasingly and caressed his cowlick before she drawled seductively "how about I dye my hair into blonde next time?".

Meliodas grinned and buried his face on her breast again "I approve".

Hawk groaned when realizing Escanor's nosebleed "oi, you two, don't forget we are still here and just come into your own world where only the two of you existed!?".

After Meliodas released her, Meliodas explained that he had fully recited about what happened to her Kingdom. This time, Elizabeth fully faced Escanor and asked for his aide.

Escanor agreed willingly "I am still one of The Seven Deadly Sins that has been appointed by the King, your father. There's no way I will refuse the request of his daughter, the princess. However... um, I'm so sorry if you feel offended, but... how and why the Captain and you... and the elope thing... are you, lovers?".

Looking at how Escanor blushed and stuttered at the end of his words, Meliodas boldly wrapped his arm around her waist and squeezed her buttocks "yes, we are".

Elizabeth blushed "um, Meliodas... can we just continue later at the night in bed? You said we're gonna be busy this night due to the villagers who wanted to hold the feast to celebrate here, right?".

Escanor didn't push it "...Captain, Lady Elizabeth, I don't know what happened between you two, but know this. Feel free to tell me whenever you're ready, and I will listen to you because we're friends".

* * *

Later at the night, after Escanor agreed to aide them, he joined the Boar Hat as the bartender. Elizabeth did a great job as a waitress, Escanor noted in wonder (considering how the princess should have spent her life as pampered, sheltered princess. However, Escanor didn't know yet, so it couldn't be helped). When the tavern wasn't too crowded again because it barely reached midnight, Elizabeth told them that she wanted to get the fresh air outside. Meliodas asked Hawk and Escanor to take care of the tavern for a while before he joined Elizabeth.

"what's up? Missed your family? I mean... your father and sisters in this lifetime of yours".

"that's too... but I feel rather bad with Sir Escanor. He's a good friend", Elizabeth slipped her bangs behind her ear as she sat on the edge of the cliff, dangling her legs "vaguely, I can remember about your friends, from my childhood memories as a princess 'Elizabeth Liones'. I think they're good people and isn't it alright to tell them?".

Meliodas sat on the edge of the cliff as well, right beside her "...I wonder. After all, Demon Clan never has the best reputation. I'm aware of it, that's why... I have no idea of how they would react. Not to mention, your mother also told you that it's best if we keep the numbers of people who know about us. The lesser people know, the better for us".

"Meliodas, you needn't hide anything from me. I can feel your dilemma", Elizabeth squeezed his hand "what is it?".

Meliodas stared at her before averting his eyes. He chuckled bitterly as if telling out loud about his weakness was a Sin itself "...no, it's nothing".

"Meliodas, look at me", Elizabeth sternly said as she leaned closer "tell me".

"...I have been happy these days, Elizabeth. With you, you remembered, we have the chance to break our curses and we needn't be afraid of you dying, and I'm really happy...", Meliodas squeezed his eyes shut tightly and tightened his grip on her arm, voice shaking "but at the same time, I'm afraid... even though your mother, just like what you said, tried to fix everything and lend her hand to help us, but I don't like it... Because why, why should she... after what happened to us all this time... why? What if she just wanted to take advantage of us and when she reached whatever her purpose... to prevent the Demon Clan's revival, perhaps? What if she breaks her promise and you will—".

"Meliodas", Elizabeth hugged him tightly, feeling his trembled body and she felt like crying. It hurt and she wanted nothing but to apologize to him for the suffering he had been going through, the suffering she had caused him to feel. She only could offer everything she had with what she had right now to soothe him as she intertwined her fingers in his "...I'm with you. You said it before, I'm yours and you're mine for all your life. From now on, no matter what happened, whoever turns their back against you, whoever our enemy, I will never leave your side. I'm with you. I'm not leaving you no matter what, because why should I? You're always with me for these 3.000 years. I'll always be around you".

Sucked in a deep breath, Meliodas felt relieved as he inhaled her scent and choked back his tears that had threatened to fall. His heartbeat was slower and he sighed in the content before he looked straight with his reassuring smile. Wrapped his arms around her waist, he smiled fondly before leaned up "I love you".

Elizabeth smiled brightly, so lovely as she leaned down "I love you too".

Escanor and Hawk who watched them from the window had watched them from the first place, now felt relieved. Escanor didn't know why and what happened between them, but he thought for a moment, the Captain looked like he was about to cry and Elizabeth successfully comforted him. When Elizabeth and Meliodas kissed torridly in need and entangled within each other's arms, Escanor quickly turned his eyes with a blushed face. Hawk trotted back, telling it was alright to just leave them be. Suddenly, the Lion Sin of Pride felt the surge of magic power flying to—

Elizabeth and Meliodas felt it too. Meliodas grumbled about how annoying people who dared to disturb their lovey-dovey moments. They stood and Elizabeth saw the sparkling star on the sky came to their direction.

Escanor barged to outside and opened the door widely "Captain! Wa—".

"**Magic Cancel**".

With a snap of fingers, the magic disappeared, leaving the spear to fall on the ground. Meliodas and Elizabeth looked behind them, to the one who had stopped the spear.

Escanor stunned in wonder "...Merlin".

Merlin lowered her hand and "Escanor".

"are we invisible in your eyes?", Meliodas grinned broadly and lifted his hand "long time no see you, Merlin!".

"oh my, I can't believe that little child has grown up into such a beauty", Elizabeth smiled broadly and hugged her "I missed you!".

Merlin surprised "...Sis-sis? But how...'.

"let's talk inside", Meliodas pointed to the tavern "and just like you said, Elizabeth... perhaps, we have to try".

As the wisest of them all, Merlin advised them to tell Escanor "I think we can believe him, so we can tell Escanor".

When Merlin recited what happened to Meliodas and Elizabeth ever since 3.000 years ago, their struggle to break the curse, Elizabeth moved to sit beside Meliodas and whispered, "say, Meliodas, Escanor asked about Merlin and you think...".

Meliodas whispered back "well, I have no idea about Merlin, but you're right, Escanor is in love with Merlin".

As they expected, Escanor cried and he grabbed her arms "I promise I will help you breaking the curses on the Captain and princess Elizabeth!?".

Now, it was Merlin's turn who baffled "but how Big Sis-Sis...".

This time, Elizabeth and Meliodas recited the story ever since Elizabeth remembered and they reunited.

Elizabeth closed the story "that's what happened".

Merlin caressed her jaw "...copying what my father would say, there's no way that old woman would do it without ulterior motive".

Meliodas nodded "and that's what I've been thinking".

Not even Elizabeth tried to deny it, because she wasn't sure of it and she was sure her brother would say it. When Meliodas and Elizabeth asked her if she would join them, Merlin apologized because she worked in Camelot right now and she couldn't leave right away. However, she promised that she would help them when she was needed.

"well, with Sis-Sis remembered, I believe you two can take care of yourself but you two are dangerously reckless sometimes... so, I need someone to watch over you two", Merlin grabbed Escanor's arm "can I rely on you to watch over and protect them, Escanor?".

Escanor smacked his chest with his fist "of course! You can rely on me!".

Merlin smiled and kissed his cheek "thank you".

Elizabeth and Hawk gasped.

Meliodas whistled "oh, that's new. Wonder how your father will react".

Elizabeth facepalmed _"oh, no. My older brother wouldn't like this, at all"_.

* * *

**.**

**OMAKE**

**.**

**Somewhere in Britannia land...**

Lucifer just finished helping Ban and Isolde to cook, where Isolde cooked stew and Ban cooked roasted meat, so Lucifer helped to cut the meat and vegetables. Slashing the vegetables into the stew, Lucifer frowned "...this is bad".

Ban sipped the stew "is that so? I think the stew is good. Your girl is a great cook".

"not the stew", Lucifer lifted the spoon "I have a really, really **bad** feeling about your sister. This is just the exact same thing, the feeling I have when one of your sisters, Lilith was getting married".

Tristan nonchalantly sipped the stew "you showed that scary looks too when I was about to ask for your daughter's hand, father-in-law".

Iseult gasped "could it be older sister—?!".

Ban raised his eyebrow "your older sister has married, right?".

Tristan clarified "it's Lilith, the oldest one. We're speaking about the middle child. She is a scientist and too busy with her research, that's why she hasn't had getting married to anyone".

Iseult chuckled as she wrapped her arms around Tristan's torso "fun fact, at first I thought he and my sister were in love, but in the end, my sister turned out to be our matchmaker and we married".

Tristan didn't budge "does it mean your sister is gonna get married to someone?".

Lucifer cracked his knuckles and drawled venomously "oh if it's true... whoever wanted to ask for my dearest daughter's hand, he has to step over my dead body".

Ban felt his curiosity stronger than before "I can't wait to meet your family~".

* * *

**On the Celestial Realm...**

Seraphina was confused "grandmother, why did you cover my eyes and why did Mercy cover my ears when we watched over father and mother?".

Mercy blushed, there was no way he could tell the little princess that they tried to protect her innocence by preventing Seraphina to see her parents kissed "wait a moment, princess".

"that's right, there's something you shouldn't see, that's why we cover your eyes and ears", Supreme Deity tried her best to not let her irritation spilled out to her words _"next time, I have to make sure that Mercy has to stay with her to accompany her every time she wants to see her parents"_.

When Mercy and Supreme Deity lowered their hands, Seraphina said out of blue "father doesn't believe grandmother".

"of course, he is. Even your mother doesn't believe me, I guess. It's a normal reaction".

"Yeah, no wonder, contemplating what happened", Seraphina nodded her head before flying upwards. She floated near Supreme Deity's face and kissed her grandmother's cheek "but I want to believe you".

Supreme Deity shrank her body before she hugged Seraphina, carrying her in her arms and looking down to her with a fond smile "thank you, my dear".

Seraphina giggled before she tilted her head, dangling her legs "ah, but I wonder... how evil grandfather will react?".

"I bet the bastard will be in a rush and he will try his best to kill your father to steal all his emotions so he can take over your father's body", Supreme Deity hummed "but that's why I sent the little gift for your father. I bet your parents will not predict it, not even your evil grandfather, although I'm surprised you still called him grandfather".

"because he is", Seraphina puffed her cheeks "although I hate him for what he's done to my parents".

"how about me?", Supreme Deity walked to the garden, still carrying Seraphina. She always did this when she wanted privacy to talk with her grand-daughter "do you still mad with me? Or hate me?".

"Indeed. Like I said, I was so mad and I hate what you did to my parents... but you do regret it and tried to fix everything, so I want to believe you and give you a chance, although people may call me naive... also...", Seraphina hesitated for a moment before blurted out with slight blush on her face "...even after what you did to my parents, I still love grandmother".

Supreme Deity hugged her "...I love you too, my dear".

Now, Supreme Deity felt a dilemma. When the time was coming, surely Seraphina would want to go and stay with her parents. She didn't want her to leave yet. At least, until it was safe for her to stay with her parents on the Earth, she would take care of her and no harm would fall upon her grand-daughter. If the Demon King knew about Seraphina's existence, there was no way he would let her alive.

Running her finger in her hair, Supreme Deity rocked Seraphina who fell asleep on her arms "...I swear no harm will fall upon you as long as I'm alive, my Seraphina".

* * *

**On the Purgatory...**

Demon King leaned his chin on his knuckles and wondered out loud "...actually, what are you planning, Supreme Deity?".

"father", Zeldris called from his place, on the outskirt of the Purgatory where they tried to break out of their exile along with his comrades "is there something wrong? We haven't able to break through yet, unfortunately".

"nothing's new, son", Demon King lazily said, rolling his eyes to his hostages "only that stupid son of mine reunited with his woman, again".

Yes, the Demon King did not only keep Meliodas' emotions as a hostage but also the other one.

"actually, for how long you've planned to keep us here?", Faust tried to break free out of the chains in her hands and the birdcage that had been keeping her hostage "are you really afraid if my knowledge can create the strongest weapon that strong enough to kill you and Supreme Deity?".

Demon King snarled "only if you tell me, what you have done and what is your plan to kill us, Faust?".

"oh, I did nothing. Only tried to keep my daughters safe, aided by my lover", Faust scoffed _"after all, it's too late... the strongest weapon that could kill you and Supreme Deity, has been existed. Ironically, it's not me who bring that weapon to exist, but your son and his lover... without they even knew it... only my daughter, Merlin, who knew about it"_.


	8. The Beast Man

**.**

**Chapter 8 – The Beast Man**

**.**

* * *

After Merlin stopped the flying electric magic-imbued spear that Gilthunder directed to Bernia village with her Magic Cancel, Elizabeth and Meliodas told everything to Merlin and Escanor, they discussed their further plan. Elizabeth talked with Merlin as they sat on the fence of the tavern. Meliodas talked with Escanor on the edge of the cliff as they observed the Bernia village below. Hawk sometimes said something to Meliodas and Escanor.

Elizabeth asked, dangling her legs "Merlin, have you been communicating with my brother?".

Merlin caressed her chin "my father? unfortunately not for these 10 years. Last time I heard the news from them, they're still looking for my mother. My sister, Iseult and her husband, Tristan came with father".

"I see... Hopefully, I can meet them. I'm kind of in need of his advice", Elizabeth intertwined her fingers with a slightly cute pout before she sighed when remembering she still had to explain her complicated conditions to her brother "and I really hope his mood is good when I tell him about this".

Merlin shrugged before she smirked bemusedly "just try. Who knows how he will react? One thing for sure I can tell as his daughter, Sis-Sis, knowing father, he will not be pleased at all with this".

Elizabeth closed her eyes and shook her head. She chuckled, leaning her chin on her palm "yes, you're right".

Meliodas hummed as he inspected the spear in his hand "do you think you know who is the main culprit, Escanor?".

"from your story, I bet the one who embedded the magic-imbued sword and threw the magic-imbued spear tonight is the very same Knight. However, when we're speaking about the Holy Knights with the electric or thunder as their magic power...", Escanor glanced sideways to Merlin and Elizabeth before he exchanged glances with Meliodas "...I believe Merlin also realized it, Captain".

Hawk blinked and tilted his head "you mean you know who is this Knight?".

Meliodas narrowed his eyes, looking straight longingly to Elizabeth "probably, he's someone we knew from the past".

If their suspicion was right, how Elizabeth would react?

"we've decided to leave this village immediately because we don't want to bring harm to the villagers again. Then, what are you planning with this spear?", Hawk huffed "why don't just throw it away back to its wielder? That jerk deserved for it!".

"good idea, but I don't think Elizabeth will want it", Meliodas chuckled at his antics before embedding the spear on the ground "let's just leave this spear here. The Holy Knights probably will come here to check the village tomorrow. They will not find us because, at that time, we have—".

Suddenly, again, Meliodas felt like his hearts lurched out of its places. The sensation was like when he collapsed and lost consciousness before Elizabeth barged into his tavern. Hawk and Escanor yelped in horror when Meliodas suddenly collapsed and fell from the edge of the cliff.

Escanor reached out his hand "Captain!".

Hawk shrieked "oh no, he lost consciousness again in the wrong time and place!?".

Elizabeth leaped "Meliodas!".

Two pairs of white-feathered wings came out of Elizabeth's back. She successfully caught Meliodas, flying on the air.

Escanor gawked, looking down as Merlin wrapped her arms around his shoulders "the princess... she... has wings?".

Merlin smirked darkly, whispering near Escanor's ear "yes, and next time, be careful. If you were in your day version, I wouldn't need to worry about you but you are in your night version, for heaven's sake. You couldn't possibly jump with your night version".

"I don't think this is the right time to be lovey-dovey, you two, seriously...", Hawk deadpanned as he looking straight to Merlin and Escanor, Looking down, he saw Elizabeth floating upward "wow, she really is a Goddess. Her wings are really handy", Hawk mumbled and sighed in relief before he trotted to her "is he alright?".

Elizabeth landed on the ground, hugging Meliodas who had lost consciousness, feeling his sweating body shuddered. She touched his forehead after she saw the perspiration started to cover his face. She yelped and immediately pulled her hand back as she felt his body burning up "Merlin, please check on him! Something's wrong with him!".

"understood", Merlin snapped her fingers to use teleport and they moved to the empty room of the tavern on the attic "we will have to take off his clothes, Sis-Sis. I feel something strange from his body. It feels like... Light and Darkness struggles against each other within his body".

After Escanor helped to put Meliodas down on the bed, Elizabeth took off his shirt and they sucked in a deep breath. The markings on Meliodas' body shifted, it looked like his throbbing veins bulging and ready to explode. Meliodas fisted the fabric of the blanket, his body started thrashing around, screaming in pain.

Helped by Escanor, Elizabeth held him down "Merlin, he's in pain! What happened to him?".

Merlin lifted her Aldan to scan his body using her best diagnostic spells "this is... It seems someone planting the '**Purification**' Spell to him. From your story, I suspect this is your mother's doing to get rid of the Demon King's immortality curse on Meliodas, Sis-Sis. However, this '**Purification'** Spell also can hurt him. An ordinary Demon usually would die but Meliodas isn't an ordinary Demon. He's high-rank Demon, that's why his body tried to reject the Light magic power of Goddess Clan's member and in the result—".

"—it makes him in pain, and my mother... she should have known this...", Elizabeth finished Merlin's words and gritted her teeth _"what are you planning, mother? For how long you and Demon King have planned to torture us? It's far too much"_.

Looking at the struggle on her big sister's figure, Merlin tapped her shoulder and encouraged "Meliodas is strong. He'll survive it".

Elizabeth wiped her tears with her sleeve and lowered her head further, her bangs masking her face "...I know. He has to".

Merlin nodded and lifted her hand "for now, let's move to the nearest town where we can find the doctor for him".

* * *

_Meliodas heard someone's crying, walking in the darkness "who is it? Elizabeth, where are you? Why are you crying?"._

_Elizabeth reached out her hand, tears streaming down her face "stop it, brother!?"._

_Yes, Meliodas remembered this. When Lucifer was going mad. His sanity was blinded by his rage which triggered his blood-lust and he went all out to kill whoever came in his way. He went to Stigma's main base and tried to enter the Celestial Realm but the Archangels, Divine Lance Corporal, Fairies, Giants, and even Humans tried to block his way. As a result, it turned out into the massacre. No one could stop him until Elizabeth and Meliodas appeared. This happened after Faust passed away and Lucifer went insane._

"_I can't stop it... I don't want to, Ellie...", Lucifer reached out his blood-stained hand, more bloody than his sister "Ellie, where's mother?"._

_Never Elizabeth felt afraid of her brother, but now, even she scared of him "...and what do you want to do?"._

"_I've gotta tell her something and ask mother to bring her back to my side", Lucifer caressed his chin thoughtfully before he smirked, "but if she refused... then I will kill her"._

"_I can't let you do it. I beg you to stop, brother. Not for mother, but for yourself", Elizabeth stood in a stance "or I will have to stop you"._

"_we will have to stop you", Meliodas corrected, looking around. Giants and Fairies under Dolor and Gloxinia were in terrible shape. Humans were even worse. The Divine Lance Corporal and even the Four Archangels couldn't stop him. Meliodas leaned his sword to his shoulder lazily when he sensed the unmistakable certain familiar presence "and your mother's coming. No need to sneak into the base again, Lucy"._

_A vein popped in his head as Lucifer threw a spear in his hand to Meliodas "don't call me that! I'm not in the mood to joke around, Meliodas!"._

"_Alright, you can stop slaughtering your brethren because I'm here now, as you wish. What do you want, Lucifer?"._

"_you said this world needn't an incompetent fool like me? No, you're wrong, mother", Lucifer looked down to his bloodied palms "because, in fact, this world needn't anyone. Why should she die while there are many more fiends who deserve to die rather than her? Why should this world still spin and not shatter into pieces after she died? How is this fair for her? Where is the justice?!"._

"_have you lost your sanity due to your love for a single woman? You incompetent fool. This is why I said to not continue your relationship with such a low-life like that woman", Supreme Deity spat "very fair, I will let you know. The one who stole her soul away from you... it's not me, unfortunately, because someone did it before I could do it"._

_Lucifer narrowed his eyes "then who?"._

_Supreme Deity lifted her thumb pointing Meliodas "his father, the Demon King"._

_F*ck. Meliodas groaned internally when Lucifer stared to him, only a second before Lucifer lunged to his direction to attack him..._

_...which never happened, because Elizabeth came in between him and Lucifer._

_Lucifer stopped his hand "...move aside, sister"._

"_no, and you can't attack him", Elizabeth spread her hands to the side "because if you kill him, it's just the same you kill me, brother"._

"_This has nothing to do with you", Lucifer looked straight over her shoulder to Meliodas, pointing with his chin "it's my business with Meliodas, regards his father's deed"._

"_Elizabeth, he's right", Meliodas walked passing her by "this is our business"._

_When Elizabeth grabbed his hand, the scene changed to where Meliodas and Elizabeth were holding hands. They stood on the outskirt of the Belialuin residence. Well, the ruins of Belialuin, to be more precise._

_Lucifer came and revealed the little girl he was carrying and hidden under his cloak "I only found one survivor"._

_Meliodas narrowed his eyes "they've crossed the boundaries. It's too much for her"._

_Elizabeth reached out her hand, carrying little Merlin when Lucifer handed the little girl to her. When Elizabeth asked her if she was injured or something, little Merlin only cried and apologized, who knew why and what for._

"_Forgive me, I should have come here to pick you sooner...", Lucifer blinked away a single tear, cupping her wet cheeks "can I be your father, Merlin?"._

* * *

Meliodas' eyes snapped open and reached his hands out, arching his back "ARGH!".

"—das...", Elizabeth tapped his cheeks "Meliodas!".

Meliodas blinked, the perspiration covered his face and torso. He realized his shirt was gone and they were no longer in the Boar Hat because wherever this was, this place had an herbs-like scent like the clinic. Looking straight to Elizabeth who still stared down to him, Meliodas realized that her hair had turned back to its original color, silver hair.

"yo, Elizabeth. Good morning", as usual, Meliodas squeezed her breasts before she hugged him tightly "whoa!".

Elizabeth sighed in content, tears on the edge of her eyes "I'm relieved you're awake... you moron... you scared me...".

"I just wanted to yell at you, but considering Elizabeth's reaction, you're saved now", Hawk shook its head before its ears stood "but seriously... is it really your first inclination every morning?!".

Meliodas sat up and scratched the back of his head "what happened? Where are we?".

"in the town named Dalmary. Merlin moved us here with her teleportation spell. You lost consciousness last night in the most perfectly wrong place and time. Had Elizabeth not been there, you would have fallen off of the cliff", Hawk explained before Elizabeth could say something and yelled "you're having high fever and Elizabeth barely slept for a night, so you better give her a break! Humph!".

"really, Hawk, it's fine, I'm okay", Elizabeth waved her hand before leaning her forehead on his "how do you feel? At least, your fever has broken".

"I'm fine. Guess what, Elizabeth?", Meliodas grabbed her wrist and pulled her down, pushing her to the bed "you should rest now".

Elizabeth scowled and tried to push him back "nope, **you** should rest".

Meliodas smirked suggestively "should I sleep with you, then?".

"oh, your husband's awake. Looking at what happened, looks like he's okay", a middle-aged man named Dr. Danna came with his daughter, Cenette, carrying the tray with milk and slices of bread on it "Cenette, bring something for our patient to eat".

Meliodas and Elizabeth thanked the doctor and his daughter for their hospitality.

Shoving his new clothes that were prepared by Elizabeth, Meliodas realized the lack of his comrades' presence "speaking of which, where are Merlin and Escanor?".

Elizabeth smiled knowingly, pointing to the veranda where Merlin and Escanor were having fun to talk. Because Escanor overheard about Merlin's father which happened to be Elizabeth's older brother, they talked about Lucifer.

Merlin just told Escanor about why her father, Lucifer adopted her. Because of her mother "because of that massacre where the casualties reached 666 people be it from Giant Clan, Fairy Clan, Human Clan, and Goddess Clan, then my father Lucifer was called the Beast number 666. No matter what people said about him, even if we're not related by blood, I don't care. Although he took me in just because of sympathy or because I'm the daughter of the woman he loved, I don't mind. Deep in my heart, for me, Lucifer is my only father".

Escanor said thoughtfully "I think you're lucky to have him, just like he's lucky to have you. I'm glad you and your father have each other. I'm grateful to him, for saving your life and raising you as his daughter, so I can meet with you".

Merlin smiled broadly, giving a light peck on his cheek "thank you".

Meliodas cleared his throat "a-hem, sorry to disturb you guys, but it's time to lunch~".

Merlin and Escanor immediately broke the hug, scurrying away back to the room. They discussed their next step from here.

Merlin told them that she could feel two different presences of their members "from their magic power, I can tell Diane's from the Forest of White Dreams and King's from the Capital Of The Dead. For Ban and Gowther, I still have no clue but I will investigate. Oh, but about Ban, he's supposed to be captured and stay in the Baste Dungeon, not too far from here. Also, I don't know if it's a coincidence or not, I can sense my father's presence from the Baste Dungeon several days ago, to be more precise, it was before the Baste Dungeon collapsed".

Escanor suggested, "maybe we can ask the doctor and his daughter about it later".

"good idea", Meliodas pointed out "let me guess, Lucifer must have been the one who destroy the Baste Dungeon".

Elizabeth facepalmed after Merlin nodded "brother... what kind of troubles were you doing again this time?".

"Maybe it had something to do with my sister because I could sense Tristan's magic power at the same time as my father's. I bet something happened to Iseult, thus my father and Triss have to activate their magic power to save her, or, something triggered them which in result, invited their wrath and like you know, boom", Merlin analyzed and shrugged "my father and my brother-in-law are just the same, after all. They have no boundaries when it comes to their family's safety".

Meliodas crossed his arms and nodded his head furiously "agreed. I don't think it's bad, but it's better if they have the boundaries. They're really troublemakers sometimes".

Elizabeth pinched Meliodas' cheek with a sweet smile on her face "I don't think my brother and our son would want to hear that from you, Meliodas".

When Escanor and Hawk stared at them, Meliodas blinked "what?".

Merlin clarified "oh, they never told you? Tristan, my sister's husband a.k.a my brother-in-law, he is also my father's, Lucifer's nephew because Tristan is the firstborn son of the Captain and Sis-Sis".

Escanor and Hawk shrieked in unison, too shocked "WHAT DID YOU SAY?!".


	9. I Am By Your Side

**.**

**Chapter 9 – ****I Am By Your Side**

**.**

* * *

**Celestial Realm**

At first, Seraphina ran to the throne room, protesting to her grandmother because she saw how her father was in pain. After Mercy had calmed her down and Supreme Deity had explained all her plans with so many, many reassurances that her father would be alright, this was only one of the processes to break their curses, Seraphina scowled.

After several minutes to process the information, Seraphina asked skeptically "...why should it be so complicated to break the curses? You can't just lift the curses from my parents?".

"I could have if I were as strong as I was. The thing is, these curses are not only a simple curse on one person but two intertwined curses from two most powerful Gods. The curses are too strong for me to break it right away but it doesn't mean I can't break it. I can, but slowly, one by one. Perhaps, it sounded like I tried to postpone it. However, I don't give an empty hope, neither I will make the promises I can't keep. I hope you can be patient?", Supreme Deity squeezed her hands and smiled, cupping her cheeks and caressing her bangs "once I break the curses on your parents and it's safe enough for you to go to the Mortal Realm, I will let you meet them. Do you understand?".

Seraphina had been told about how the remaining Goddesses of Goddess Clan's members were not as strong as they were. In order to seal the Demon Clan, the Goddess Clan sacrificed their physical form, leaving the Supreme Deity as the only one who could survive with the still-intact physical form on the Celestial Realm. Slowly but surely, as time passed by, Supreme Deity rebuilt the Goddess Clan and revive its member Clan one by one by giving back their physical form. Unfortunately, the souls of the Four Archangels and mostly all Divine Lance Corporal's members were still on Mortal Realm, so Supreme Deity couldn't give back their physical form.

Hence, how could you expect her to give back their physical form when even Supreme Deity had the difficulties to preserve her form after she and her Clan's members sealed the Demon Clan members? Not to mention, they also still had to figure out how to open up the gate between the Celestial Realm and Mortal Realm again.

Seraphina knew she couldn't be selfish, so she nodded curtly before excusing herself back to the library.

Once they were sure that Seraphina disappeared from their sight and she was out of earshot, Mercy sighed loudly "...I don't think the princess would be pleased when she knows 'that part' of your plan, Your Majesty".

"I know, but it can't be helped. We need to do it for breaking the curses on Elizabeth, Meliodas, and Faust", Supreme Deity felt like she just got older one hundred years just with remembering how her firstborn son would react when Elizabeth told him about her pact with Elizabeth "I only hope everything goes well and Lucifer will accept it when we ask him to aide us. Although, I have a hunch feeling that he has the tendency to go berserk when Elizabeth tells him".

"yes, I can imagine it", Mercy turned pale, shivering "I only hope the young Master will not go berserk like the one he has after Lady Faust's death".

"which is why I need to help him to get back Faust as well and to think I even hope I can do it as my way to repent my Sin to him", Supreme Deity chuckled dryly and said remorsefully "...I know, perhaps, whatever atonement I've strived to do... it will not change what happened in the past, neither it will make up everything and make them forgive me. I don't hope them to forgive me, but at least, I hope I can fix the errors between us and they can be happy with their loved ones, after long-standing suffering they've been going through".

Listening to her sincere words and witnessing her, Mercy truly felt glad for the changes on his Queen (thanks to Seraphina). Mercy dropped one knee in front of her and crossed one arm before his chest "as one of the Divine Lance Corporal, even if I'm not that dependable, I will do my best to help you, my Queen".

"...thank you, Mercy", Supreme Deity smiled before reminded him "and don't think that low of yourself, you have been helping me a lot to raise Seraphina. I'm really glad that I have a dependable 'right hand' like you".

"then, I'm honored to serve you, Your Majesty".

* * *

**Boar Hat**

So, from Cenette's story about how she and the other prisoners witnessed two Angels (or Goddesses), Merlin concluded "from their description, it seems father, Iseult, and Tristan went with Ban. Wonder if they separated their way or would Ban join father's group? If it's the latter, undoubtedly Ban will be a good friend with my father".

(yap, you're right. Thank you very much, Merlin)

When Elizabeth knew they would go to the Forest of White Dreams and pick Diane, Elizabeth was so excited because she thought she finally could get a female companion even if just one (considering the other female member of the Sins, Merlin couldn't come with them yet). Meliodas clearly wasn't excited. He only kept his poker face with pointed looks to Escanor and Merlin. Escanor and Merlin knew Diane had a crush on the Captain and oh, look at how Merlin covered her mouth, trying to muffle her laughter. Kinda the opposite with Escanor who fidgeted nervously. Both of them were thinking about how Diane would react when she found out about Meliodas and Elizabeth's relationship, also how Elizabeth and Meliodas would react to each other when Elizabeth found out about Diane's crush on Meliodas. Just if not because of Meliodas' heated glare, they would spill it out to Elizabeth, to warn her, perhaps.

"um, Sis-Sis, I think you and Meliodas can rest", Merlin cleared her throat before she dragged Escanor and Hawk out of the room "oh, don't worry. We will not disturb you two. Have fun~ I will have fun with Escanor as well, after all. I'm sleeping with him in his room, in case you need me. Good night".

Escanor blushed furiously at the implication "EH!?".

Merlin winked her eyes and briefly closed the door, disappeared out of their sight along with Hawk and Escanor.

Meliodas grinned broadly and wrapped his arms around her waist, pushing her to the bed "like she said, let's have fun~".

Elizabeth blushed and laughed in mirth as he buried his face on her chest, patting his back "hey?! Are you sure you're fine already?".

When Meliodas didn't react, Elizabeth blinked and wondered if he was asleep "...Meliodas?".

Meliodas lifted his face up, enough for her to see the concern on his eyes as he leaning his chin on top of her cleavage "...I wonder how Tristan, Iseult, and Lucifer will react. Especially Lucifer. Remembering how your mother treated him... remember he went berserk after Faust's death?".

"there's no way I could forget it", Elizabeth put on the brave smile "but leave it to me, okay? I will try to talk and persuade him. At that time, you talk with Iseult and Tristan".

With those understanding on his eyes, Meliodas sighed "but still, I understand how he must have felt towards your mother. I can understand it because it's not too different from how Demon King treated me and my brothers, especially me, considering our position as the next line of the throne. After all, I and Lucifer are the firstborn son. No wonder your mother raised and trained him strictly, but considering how your mother treated Lucifer, I don't think Lucifer will show a good reaction at all after you talk with him".

Elizabeth closed her eyes "...well, it's not like I didn't expect it. I expected it, but I and Merlin have discussed the anticipation in case my brother throws tantrum, even. He can be more sensitive than me sometimes".

"which that's why I call him 'Lucy Dear' sounded befitting him perfectly, right?".

"Meliodas, you're so mean! You just want to tease him, right?", Elizabeth smacked him before laughing her head off, wiping her tears "try to call him like that, I bet he would chase after you and try to kill you if you called him like that when we meet him later!?".

Meliodas kissed her before telling her to sleep "you need it, after watching me over the night, wife~".

Elizabeth blushed heavily. Although they hadn't officially married in this 107th of her lifetime, she still had been his wife, having a son, Tristan who had married his cousin a.k.a their niece, Iseult. This time, Elizabeth obeyed him and fell asleep with their hands entangled each other's bodies.

* * *

_When people asked her about her older brother, one thing would come to Elizabeth's head, the very first thing as if it had been the trademark of her older brother._

_**Scars.**_

_Not only the battle scars but also the scars from his strict training. when she was a child, she always wondered why her older brother had so many scars compared to other Goddess Clan members. When she asked him about what kind of training he'd been going through which causing so many scars like these, why should he be training hard and would he want her to heal him if it felt hurt, Lucifer would wave it off as nothing, telling her that he was alright, he just had to train harder because he was the firstborn son and the next on the line to the throne._

_She asked, "do you want to be the King?"._

"_well, not quite right, Ellie", despite the bandages wrapped around his head and torso plus the bruises littering his torso, Lucifer smiled and patted her head "I just want to be strong, so I can protect our Clan and the most important, my family. Especially you, Ellie, my dearest sister"._

_When Elizabeth came to the age and it was time for her to train, she just knew the reason why her older brother had sustained so many injuries, leaving the scars on his body. The first training from their mother was to kill with their Ark, her mother threw a little, helpless Demon in front of her and ordered her "kill it". _

_Elizabeth gasped "I can't!?"._

_Supreme Deity coldly said, "you will obey my order or you will want to get the injuries like your brother has"._

_Elizabeth shuddered and turned pale. So, her older brother's injuries and scars from his training all along this time? If she remembered carefully, it was not only the injuries from the sword's attack, there was also the burns from the fire in the shape of chains or the shallow cuts like getting whipped or stabbed by daggers._

_What should she do? She didn't want to kill a life meaningless, even just for training but she was also afraid of her mother's punishment. When her mother demanded her to kill the Demon and she refused, her mother reached out her hand, her body was lifted off of the ground and several chains appeared out of nowhere. It was not only the ordinary chains, but it was also the fully-heated chains that would burn her skin when it touched her. Elizabeth closed her eyes, prepared to get the punishment but she was shocked even more when she opened her eyes as she felt the warm hands wrapped itself around her securely. She felt like she was the one who got scalded when she saw how her brother got the skin of his back ripped, showing the raw flesh with the scorched smells. Looking at the burns on her older brother's body, she felt like she wanted to vomit and she also wanted to cry hysterically. She wanted to apologize, but instead of mad, Lucifer smiled weakly._

_Cupping her cheeks, he asked with a reassuring smile, the smile to hide the pain "you're not injured at all, Ellie?"._

"_do not disturb her training, Lucifer"._

"_was it not enough with me only, mother?", Lucifer looked behind over his shoulder disdainfully "I can endure the training you've been giving up on me, but don't do it with Elizabeth. You can hit me or punish me as much as you like when you're not satisfied with Elizabeth's training but don't touch her"._

"_you mean to take all the brunt of your sister's punishment?"._

"_yes, if it means she's safe, from __**you**__", Lucifer hissed "I alone am enough to endure this pain"._

_Elizabeth pulled his sleeve "brother, don't—"._

"_very well, then. It's like you heard, Elizabeth. I think it's enough for today. I hope you will do your next training better, because if you let me down, then your brother will take over your punishment", Supreme Deity declared coldly and lifted her chin "before I leave and end your training session, you know what you should do, Lucifer. Show to your sister as an example of what she should do"._

_Lucifer sighed and took the dagger from the floor. He stood, looking down to the Demon apologetically "...close your eyes if you can't bear it, Ellie. You don't have to witness it"._

_Supreme Deity scoffed and ordered, "watch it closely so you can learn from your older brother"._

_Ever since that time, Lucifer always took over Elizabeth's punishment. Elizabeth trained harder because she didn't want her older brother to take over her punishment. Even if she cried and asked him to stop, Lucifer only smiled to her and ruffled her head, asking her to not cry "as long as I am by your side, I swear no harm will befall upon you". _

_Even if her older brother said it was okay. Despite the scars, he still could fight just fine and it was nothing but mere scratches..._

_...but it didn't mean it didn't hurt at all, right?_

* * *

"Elizabeth", cupping her wet, tear-stained cheeks, Meliodas looked down to her with concern on his eyes "hey, what's wrong? Do you have a nightmare?".

"Meliodas", Elizabeth sighed in relief, wiping her tears as she leaned her head on his chest with her ear right above his heart, listening to his heartbeat "for your question, perhaps... sort-of nightmare, even if I just reminisced my childhood as Goddess".

"which it's so bad considering how you cried".

After Elizabeth told him what kind of nightmare she had, Meliodas pulled her closer to his chest "is it because I reminded you of the old-time, or is it because I talked about your brother before you slept?".

"no, I think I just... missed him. You know, there's only the two of us and we only have each other. He always protected me ever since I was a child. Remembering him and talking about him with you, it just makes sense that I just realized how I missed him so much".

"...he's really the best older brother for you, right?".

"of course, and I will not trade him with anyone else", Elizabeth wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gave a light peck on his cheek and his neck "just like I will never trade you with anyone else in this world. I can't afford to live in the world without you".

Meliodas grinned brightly. He kissed her forehead, intertwining his fingers in between her knuckles "oh, Elizabeth, don't be afraid. I am by your side. You said you will never leave me and always by my side, so do I. I swear no harm will befall upon you as long as I am by your side".

After having their moment, both cleaned up before Elizabeth went down to the kitchen for cooking breakfast while Meliodas went to Escanor's room to wake him and Merlin up.

Merlin stirred and pulled the blanket, shivering to the coldness of the morning air. As the morning sun ran through the window and landed on her face, she opened her eyes slowly because she could no longer feel the cool air, instead, she felt the warmth of the large bulging muscular hand that wrapped itself around her waist. She looked behind over her shoulder and a thin smile grazed her eyes. When Escanor opened his eyes, she gave a light peck on his cheek with a 'morning' greeting.

"Okay, you two shared a bed with your clothes on and cuddled against each other, that's all", Meliodas stood in front of the door before walking outside nonchalantly "pity. I expected to see you two naked in bed in the morning. The morning kiss is quite sweet, though~".

Meliodas rushed to outside before the pillow that Merlin threw to him landing on his head while Escanor stuttered about how it was unlike what the Captain imagined or sort-of those things.

Before Merlin left after breakfast, she had a private conversation with Escanor. Meliodas, Hawk, and Elizabeth gladly waited outside the tavern before Escanor joined them.

Merlin asked him to call her immediately in case they needed help regards her father or told her when they found him "just... tell me right away when you find him. I've gotta see him, badly".

Escanor dutifully tucked the orb to call her on his pocket before asking "do you miss him?".

"...of course, I do", Merlin smiled sheepishly, brushing her bangs behind her ears "but don't tell him about it out loud, okay? Because it only triggers him to spoil me like usual and it's embarrassing for me. He always treats me like a child, though I understand why... it doesn't mean I don't feel shy".

"I think it's fine to be spoiled by your father as long as he's still with you, no need to feel embarrassed about it", Escanor smiled and kissed her forehead "see you again".

* * *

"Are you sure, one of the Sins called Diane is here?", Hawk trotted in front of Escanor, looking behind "and you think you can make these fogs disappear with your sun?".

Elizabeth believed in Merlin's ability as the greatest Sorceress of all Britannia "and contemplating how perfect this place to hide from the Holy Knights, I think what Merlin said is the truth".

"I don't doubt her. Also, I don't think these fogs disturbing me that much, so I prefer to keep my power in case we meet the Holy Knights here and need to fight him", Escanor glanced sideways to the lovey-dovey couple behind him with flushed cheeks "considering the princess doesn't look like the type of fighter and we still don't know if it's alright to let the Captain fight...".

Meliodas told him to relax "don't worry about it, I can—".

Elizabeth briefly cut him off "hey, Merlin told you to not push yourself, remember?".

"you can stop being such a worrywart, Elizabeth. I'm fine", Meliodas trailed off after he turned to his companion "speaking of which, Escanor, since when did you have twin siblings?".

Escanor, Elizabeth, and Hawk blinked their eyes in confusion "huh?".

When they looked around, they just understood what Meliodas meant after they saw so many Escanors emerged from the grounds. For the sake of their safety, Meliodas had jumped to the tree branch carrying Elizabeth bridal-style on his arms, ignoring Hawk's protests.

"Okay, one Escanor is enough. We don't need other men with self-esteem issues. Now, what should I do with you?", Meliodas sat on the tree branch beside Elizabeth after taking Hawk with them. A broad grin spread on his face when he had an idea and Meliodas said suggestively "Escanor! If you can't get rid of the imposters who dared to disguise themselves as yourself here and now, they could have seduced your Merlin, you know?".

Elizabeth facepalmed and laughed it off when Meliodas' words were enough to trigger the real Escanor who cracked his knuckles with the fire of the sun surroundings his body.

On the other side, Hawk was baffled in amazement when Escanor started to beat those poor things who seemingly made the great mistake with disguising themselves as the man you shouldn't be messed with "Meliodas, you're really an expert to get under his skin, huh? It rather scared me, looking at how effective it is".

It turned out the imposters who dared to disguise themselves as Escanor (they picked the wrong man to disguise with) were the hide-and-seek imps. After they changed their form into their real form, they all ran away in fright to the certain location which Escanor, Meliodas, Elizabeth, and Hawk followed them in tow.

When they arrived at the location where they saw a girl lying on the ground, sleeping peacefully, Hawk and Elizabeth exclaimed about how could the Imps attempt to attack the 'little girl' which turned out to be 'not the little girl' at all. On the background, Escanor and Meliodas who recognized Diane from a far distance had covered their mouth to smother their laughter down. When they laughed, a vein popped on irritated Elizabeth's head.

One of the Imps exclaimed "Lady Diane! We're so sorry! We failed and let the Holy Knights entered this Forest!?".

Diane opened her eyes and sat immediately "...Holy Knights?".

"no, Di—", Meliodas didn't have the chance to finish his words because Diane snatched him off of the ground. _Oh, boy_. He thought before patting Diane's nose "Di, put me down, please".

Diane beamed in delight when she recognized it was Meliodas, her dearest Captain and Diane squealed happily. When Diane rubbed her cheek against his head like a little girl playing with their favorite doll (Hell yeah, thanks to their different sizes), Hawk gawked and lifted its trembling leg to the giantess and Escanor explained that yes, Diane had a crush on Meliodas. Hawk and Escanor flinched before they hugged each other, cowering in fear when they saw how the fire of jealousy blazing around Elizabeth's body as the Goddess princess smiled sweetly with threatening aura.

"hey!", Elizabeth demanded as the protectiveness rose in her chest. When Meliodas and Diane turned their head to her, Elizabeth lifted her forefinger pointing the ground beneath her "put him down here right away!".

"How dare you, a human, give an order to me? I only accept the Captain's orders!", Diane bit back and narrowed her eyes skeptically "and if I refuse, what you can possibly do little thing?".

"oh, then I will make you obey my words, or I simply can snatch him away from you", Elizabeth smiled before she spread her wings. She disappeared from their eyes after Diane's eyes dilated. When Diane looked around in bewilderment, Elizabeth went down flying and snatched Meliodas from Diane's grip as she said. Wrapping her arms around her lover's torso, Elizabeth carried him before landing on the tree branch. She kissed his cheek before burying his face on her chest "got you back~".

Diane would have asked who was she and demanded the explanation about the wings from her back if not because of what she just witnessed. Diane blushed furiously like a tomato and fumed "HEY!? Who the hell are you and how could you so casually do it to the Captain?!".

Elizabeth stuck her tongue out and boldly declared "what? Just taking back what's mine".

It looked like the steams came out of his head as Meliodas blushed furiously and stopped breathing.

Along with Escanor, Hawk watched from the treelines "...I can't believe I just witnessed two women, a goddess and a giantess, having a heated argument for a man, Meliodas of all people even".

"you may not know it, Hawk, but in fact, the Captain is quite popular among the women. Women who have a crush and tried to advance on him is not only Diane. At least for as long as I've known him, ever since the creation of the Sins to ten years before now, the Captain didn't seem to care about any kind of woman at all and he wasn't someone who would do something... well, like how he has with the princess... now I really think about it, the only person the Captain plays his pranks on is only princess Elizabeth", Escanor mused, whispering to Hawk "now, I knew the reason why, though".

* * *

**A/N :**

_To __**Guests**__ who kept asking updates : seriously? -_-_

_To __**believergirl62**__ : heh-heh, glad you like it. Sounds like you like Lucifer a lot. More about him in the next chapters especially when he and his group reunite with Meliodas and Elizabeth's group. For your first question, I sometimes prefer the manga but sometimes I also prefer the anime, thus I mix the scenes from both manga and anime before I write it with my own style._

_For your random question, if the world of the SDS were real, I would like to be Fairy Races because I always like the power to control nature and it's been my favorite to be close with Nature._

_To __**merendinoemiliano**__ : thank you_

_To __**Ansy**__ : yep, he got himself one pretty crazy family hahaha. Oh, I hope you will like it when the times come for them to reunite, etc._

_Now, I open up the Q&A Session for the next chapter. Probably, I will open up the Q&A Session every 10 chapters or when I'm in the mood. Feel free to ask (as long as it's not a spoiler, I will answer it) and not only to me, you also can ask the characters. Just submit the question and to who you specifically wanted to ask the question. For example :_

_**Reader**__ : (to Lucifer) does Meliodas really call you 'Lucy Dear' which also known as Lucy-chan in the Japanese?_

_**Lucifer**__ : he did, and I dislike it because it sounded like a girl's name._

_That's all for now, fellas. See you next chapter~_


	10. Where Love Will Find You

**.**

**Chapter 10 – Where Love Will Find You**

**.**

* * *

First off, two men (plus one pig) warily watched as the heated argument between Diane and Elizabeth kept going. However, when their heated argument turned out to be the little skirmish, Meliodas and Escanor had to restrain the urge to bang their heads to the tree.

Diane huffed and stood, punching her fists "let's see how you fight with those skinny hands!".

Usually, Elizabeth was the pacifist one and preferred to not cause the unnecessary violence but this time Diane really had grated her nerves. She smiled confidently "okay. Just don't regret it".

"Elizabeth, not that I doubt your ability. I trust you", Meliodas waved his hand, he really meant it. After all, 3.000 years ago, Elizabeth was able to defeat the First Giant King "but should you two really fight?".

Elizabeth and Diane said in unison "shut up!".

"if you say so", Meliodas facepalmed, lifting his hand in mocking surrender as he walked backward. He sat near Escanor and Hawk before lifting his thumbs to Elizabeth "fight".

Hawk opened his mouth to protest "are you seriously gonna—?!".

Meliodas already clamped his mouth shut with a mischievous grin on his face "oh, shut up, porky. She's not known as the 'Bloody Ellie' in the Holy War 3.000 years ago for nothing".

Escanor and Hawk blanched. The former noted to himself to pester Merlin about it later.

**Please wait for a moment...**

Meliodas deadpanned "told you, no need to worry about her".

Hawk gawked "...I can't believe this...".

Yep. It was comically ridiculous. After Diane launched her fist to Elizabeth which only hit the ground beneath them, Elizabeth who had floated on the air with her wings flapping, she threw two large light balls of her **Ark** to Diane's head.

Looking at how Diane, lost consciousness, lying with her back on the ground within the giant-size crater which you could even see the floating stars above Diane's head after she got hit by Elizabeth's **Ark**, Escanor lifted his thumb "cool. I admit she's scary when she's mad. This is the first time I saw someone could beat Diane like this".

"now you know it, don't make her mad", Meliodas chuckled and whispered "oh, you also have to be careful. Merlin is also scary when she's mad, you know?".

After earning Escanor's flinch, Meliodas walked to Elizabeth with the intention to check her if she got injured or not "good job, Ellie. Kind of reminded me with when you defeated Dolor".

"speaking of which, Meliodas...", Elizabeth cleaned the dust off of her hands before turning with her overly-sweet smile as threatening aura surrounded her body "you deliberately didn't tell me about how Lady Diane has a crush on you, huh?".

Meliodas winced, lifting his hands nervously "I can explain".

* * *

Diane groaned as she got out of the giant-sized crater before rubbing her head. She realized her wounds had healed and wondered how, before Escanor stood in front of her with a smile on his face.

"good afternoon, Diane. I should admit, you're still hot-blooded as usual, especially when it comes to our Captain due to your jealousy. Unfortunately, as your friend, I should suggest you give up because you surely can't get in between the Captain with his wife".

"you haven't changed it seems, Escanor", Diane clicked her tongue out before his words came into her head "...his _**what**_?!".

"...looking to your reaction, I think you don't even know about the rumor, do you?".

After Escanor told Diane about the rumor (that their Captain eloped with the third princess Elizabeth Liones and yes, Elizabeth is his wife now), Diane was crying mess "just when I thought, finally, I could reunite with the man I loved, he's together with another woman already?! I'm so broken-hearted!".

"and do you think, how does Lady Elizabeth's feeling when she just reunited with her love? Well, I know it's not your fault, to fall in love with a 'taken' man. I think it's not the Captain's fault as well, due to his uncertainty of what's upcoming them on the future", Escanor wisely mumbled. Merlin had given all knowledge about what happened between Meliodas and Elizabeth, with a condition, that Escanor was not allowed to tell anyone. Oh, Merlin. The way she sweetly asked him to protect Meliodas and Elizabeth that she had considered as her parents figure in her stead due to her absence, it was cunning to win over his heart. Escanor pinched the bridge of his nose before telling Diane "but still, you owe an apologize to Lady Elizabeth. Despite your rude attitude, Lady Elizabeth even healed you when you were unconscious".

Now Escanor mentioned it, Diane was surprised. How kind of her, to heal her after their fight even if she was being so rude to her. Putting her clenched fist on her chest, Diane leaned down "where are the Captain and princess Elizabeth?".

Escanor and Hawk exchanged exasperated glances before pointing to the side, where Elizabeth walked without looking back as Meliodas followed her.

"Ellie. Beth. Bethany. Lizzy. Liz", Meliodas kept calling her nicknames before he gave up and whined "Elizabeth, why are you mad to me? Come on, I apologize for not telling you beforehand—".

Elizabeth cut him off with deep frown "—no, Meliodas. It's not that and you don't understand because it's complicated. I know it's not your fault when some women have a crush or fallen in love with you, considering a good man you are, despite what some people said about your pervert side. I wonder if it's my fault, for unable stay by your side and as a result, only Gods know how many women have fallen into you and here I am, wondering how could I not have known before about how heart-breaker my husband could be?".

Meliodas scratched the back of his nape "...wait, are you jealous?".

Elizabeth stopped on her tracks before she turning her back to him, earning his flinch as she walked to him furiously and yelling "the nerve you have? Of course, I am!?".

As the so-called 'husband and wife spat' between Meliodas and Elizabeth continued, Hawk shook its head in disbelief "honestly, they have been like that for about a half-hour".

Diane gawked "what?!".

Hawk thought it had been enough so the piglet called out "oi, you two, just continue your lover quarrel later somewhere?!".

"no need", Meliodas called back, wrapping his hands around her wrists before pulling her body down to whisper something near her ears. Elizabeth turned bright red before she mumbled incoherently about how cunning Meliodas could be as Meliodas grabbed her wrist, pulling her back to the group cheerfully "problem is settled! Now, let's go to the explanation part".

Hawk deadpanned "what did you whisper to her which successfully calmed her down?".

Meliodas smirked suggestively and wriggled his eyebrow "oh, you will not want to hear it, believe me".

"live it down already!", Elizabeth buried her blushing face on his fluffy head "I feel like I'm feeling jealous in vain...".

"Okay, better not to tell us, then", Escanor lifted his hand before pointedly looking back to Diane "now, I think it's your turn to explain, Captain".

Meliodas and Elizabeth only explained half-truth of what happened from their past (due to the Supreme Deity's conditions). Elizabeth thought it was unfair for Diane and the other members because Escanor and Hawk knew it, but the four others would be left clueless about their curses because of her mother's conditions to forbid them from telling anyone and keep it as a secret instead. Escanor and Hawk had been fed up by Merlin, Meliodas and Elizabeth about how important it was, to keep it as a secret due to Supreme Deity's conditions so they decided to only tell the half-truth to the four others, at least until it was safe enough to tell them and no need the secrecy between them.

Elizabeth told Diane that she had been Meliodas' wife ever since her previous life, that she died about 16 years ago on the Danafor Kingdom and she reincarnated as Elizabeth Liones now. Meliodas explained that he and his family had been the ones of their respective Clan who guarding the Coffin Of Eternal Darkness, the ritual relic to seal the Demon Clan.

"about 16 years ago on the Danafor Kingdom, there were people who tried to break the seal, to resurrect the Demon Clan and I lost my life when I and Meliodas tried to fight back. I remembered everything when I turned into 16 years old lately, though", Elizabeth squeezed Meliodas' hand, realizing his discomfort and grieve "I don't know how, but it seems they successfully infiltrated to the Liones Kingdom. They tried to break the seal and resurrect the Demon Clan again, but they thought Holy Knight Zaratras and the Sins would be a threat and the greatest obstacles to reaching their purpose".

Diane hummed in understanding "which is why they framed us as the main culprit of the one who killed Zaratras 10 years ago?".

Escanor huffed "kill two birds with one stone, huh?".

"but the last fragment is still with me, along with the last key to break the seal", Meliodas tightened his grip on the hilt of his green dragon-hilted sword. He explained further "to break the seal and resurrect the Demon Clan, our enemy will need to collect all the fragments, arrange it into one and the last key to release the seal is—".

"the sacrifice", Elizabeth calmly said, "they will need my blood as the descendant of Goddess Clan to release the seal".

Hawk gasped in horror, quickly clinging to Elizabeth's legs "no way in hell we will let them hurt you!?".

"that's why, we need to gather all the Sins and invade Liones Castle, to save Elizabeth's family and to prevent the revival of Demon Clan", as Elizabeth calmed down the distraught pig, Meliodas looked up with renewal determination on his eyes "right now, we ask you personally. Will you lend your hand to us, Diane?".

"Should you ask me, Captain?", Diane playfully asked and punched her fist on her palm "the Serpent Sin of Envy, Diane is on your service".

Meliodas clasped his hands "good! Now with Merlin, Escanor, and Diane with us, we only need to find Ban, King, and Gowther".

Diane looked around "where is Merlin? I didn't see her around".

"well, she—", Escanor felt it at the same time with Meliodas, Elizabeth, and Diane, looking up "seems like we have a guest".

The lightning struck them before the electric waves tied them all.

"at least, we finally meet, Seven Deadly Sins", Gilthunder came to the view, narrowing his eyes "and princess Elizabeth. So, the rumor is true?".

"Gilthunder", Elizabeth hissed "as I expected, although I don't want to believe this... but am I right to suspect that you were the one who caused the trouble in Bernia village and threw the magic-imbued spear which could have swept the Bernia village from the map from your magic power?".

Meliodas expected it, too. With having her memories of past-lives for 3.000 years, obviously Elizabeth was not a clueless and innocent princess like she was anymore.

"humph, it seems like you're not as innocent and clueless princess as the people thought of", Gilthunder scoffed before pointing his sword to Meliodas "but to elope with the leader from a bunch of criminals like him? Are you serious, Elizabeth? Your father and your sisters will not be pleased with this, at all".

Diane growled "hey! You have no right to protest anything about their relationship?!".

Meliodas said casually "knowing my reputation, any displeasure is understandable. Although, I expect it coming from mostly princess Veronica or princess Margaret and not from you, Gil boy".

"well, I can't help it. All of me only belong to Meliodas", Elizabeth said boldly and smiled innocently "and I believe my love life is out of your concern as a Holy Knight, Gilthunder?".

"...yeah, you're right, considering your position as the third princess, whoever you choose as your future husband should not be a problem because the throne is supposed to fall to the first princess as successor. You're supposedly allowed to choose and feel free to choose whoever your heart wanted. However...", Gilthunder raised his eyebrow, sauntering to behind Meliodas and pointing his sword to "**if** you chose this man and you, with his group, planned the coup d'etat to invade the Liones Kingdom, it would be a huge problem for us, including me, as a Holy Knight".

After Gilthunder gave a long explanation about what the motives of Holy Knights to aim the Sins and how Gilthunder had both motives, to seek for revenge of his father's death and to proof that his ability as Holy Knight was superior compared to his late father, Meliodas and Elizabeth exchanged glances before they both freed themselves from the electric waves.

"let me make it clear, Gilthunder, I'm not planning to do the coup d'etat like you said, only planning to gather them all so I can ask them to help me take back my home and family. As the rewards, I will help them to clear their names. Isn't it a healthy and fair agreement? Not to mention, I will need to clear his name if I still want to marry with him, otherwise, I doubt my father and my sisters will give their blessing", Elizabeth casually wrapped her arms around Meliodas' shoulders and leaned her head on the crown of his head "although, the idea to elope with him is soo tempting. It's not bad at all, I think".

Meliodas tapped her bicep "as tempting the idea to elope with you as it is for me, think about our kids later. It's kinda complicated when they enter the school".

"oh, you're right", Elizabeth giggled at the idea before pointing out the obvious "so, if you want to take me back to the Liones Castle, like because Margaret asked you, perhaps? Or, if you want to fight one of the Sins, especially Meliodas, I refuse to stay still and do nothing".

"_Gods above, Margaret, I wonder what happened to your sister and I doubt if I can drag her back home as you asked. At least, I have to figure out what her purpose and how she can be so attached to Meliodas"_, Gilthunder twitched his eyebrow "and? What do you mean with you refuse to stay still and do nothing? Are you planning to fight along with him? You, who don't even know how to fight?".

"you're right. The naive, sheltered princess 'Elizabeth Liones' does not even know how to fight", she smiled as she spread her wings and reached out her hand, sending an **Ark** which only hit the tree bark after passing by Gilthunder's face "but I, the 'Goddess Elizabeth' knows how to fight. Wanna try?".

Meliodas started to think this was getting more dangerous. Elizabeth was not the type of someone who would show off her ability as the goddess and she only kept provoking Gilthunder to fight her instead of him. Ah, Meliodas understood now. She just didn't want him to fight, considering what happened on Bernia that night because she was still worried about his condition. As he stared at the fallen tree on the ground after getting hit by Elizabeth's **Ark**, Gilthunder's eyes dilated due to shock (could you blame him? Who wouldn't, after you saw your delicate little sister figure turned into savage warrior woman?).

Meliodas smirked and grabbed her wrist before wrapping his arm around her waist "Elizabeth".

Escanor blushed before turning his head. As a gentleman he was, he decided to give the privacy. Diane gasped and blushed furiously, mumbling incoherent words and cupping her cheeks before she decided to cover her eyes for her sanity. Hawk gawked as they saw how Meliodas kissed Elizabeth. Deeply. Torridly.

After earning the collective of moans and Elizabeth melted on his hands, Meliodas pushed her gently to sit near the tree "just stay put and be a good girl while I'm fighting, otherwise, I will attack you with **more** loving kiss to the point you're breathless, okay?".

"oh, you...", Elizabeth sent a blast which easily dodged by Meliodas "should you do it in front of them all here and now? You can just do it privately in our room when it's only us?!".

Hawk shook its head and facepalmed "...how could I possibly be angry to that pervert when she clearly rather enjoyed it?".

Escanor was the first one who recovered, not too surprising, as he watched Gilthunder who banging his head on the tree bark "I wonder what happened to him so suddenly?".

Diane blinked her eyes confusedly "trying to process if this is the reality or not, perhaps?".

After he regained his composure, with slightly flushed cheeks, Gilthunder cleared his throat "...I must say, even I am shocked by your boldness, princess. Even if it was Meliodas who attacked you. It seems I have to use a harsh way—".

Okay, Elizabeth blushed furiously at the notion Meliodas 'attacked' her when Meliodas clearly enjoyed it. Diane already prepared to fight, just in case, but it was Escanor who moved forward first.

"I must say, young man, if you think you can win against the Captain, then you're totally wrong", he admitted he was not too fond of the fight, unless it was his day version, but he had promised Merlin and there was no way he failed her so Escanor decided to move forward "between me and the Captain, it's always back and fort competition. I could say for sure that I am the closest in power terms with him. If you can't even fight against me, don't you think you can beat the Captain".

Diane, Meliodas, Elizabeth, and Hawk sat on the tree lines when it was clear that Escanor would fight Gilthunder and they cheered their comrades.

"Before we started our fight, care to tell us?", even if Merlin could inform them, Escanor tried to earn the information from him, in case the Holy Knights knew something they didn't "do you know where the others Sins' specific locations?".

Gilthunder stood in his fighting stance "well, to respect you, old man. What we gathered, two others still remain unknown but we know that Fox Sin Of Greed, Ban, has been seen to several places directing to the Necropolis, the City Of The Dead, after he broke out of jail, along with three other people who helped him to destroy Baste Dungeon. Two men and a woman who specifically resembled with the Boar Sin Of Gluttony, Merlin. The Grizzly Bear Sin Of Sloth, King, is dead already and he's on the Necropolis, the City Of The Dead right now".

Surprisingly, Diane shouted in shock "what did you say?!".

"don't worry, I will send you all to follow him there", Gilthunder raised his sword before launching one of his strongest moves. After all, he fought against one of two men who had been considered as strongest Sins "**Iron Hammer Of Thunder Emperor**".

"funny. Do you think you can win against me with your electric waves? Not a chance", Escanor cleaned the dust off of his clothes, unaffected "it's ticklish a little. That's all you've got?".

"of course not. I haven't forgotten the day I was taught 'the way of the Knight'. Your eyes are to discern evil, your mouth is to speak the truth, your heart is to be filled with righteousness, and your sword is to purge evil. However, you Sins have turned your backs on your own creed and betrayed the Kingdom, so I trained and fought harder to get stronger. Right now, I am stronger than any of the members of the Seven Deadly Sins".

The realization came to his head and Meliodas' eyes widened "oh".

Elizabeth eyed him, thinking to pester him later.

Escanor sighed "such big mouth of yours, brat".

"Okay, stop right there", before Escanor tried to kill him, Meliodas interrupted and lifted his hand as he came in between them "let's end this for now and continue it later, okay? See you again, Gil boy~".

Gilthunder was shocked when Diane lifted him off of the ground "what—?!".

"as Captain said, continue it later and see you again", when Gilthunder released electric waves around his body, Diane scowled "oh, don't do it to me, Mr. Sparky! Here you go!".

After Diane threw Gilthunder to the sky, she remembered Gilthunder's words. Looking down at her Captain, she narrowed her eyes "...Captain, do you think he's telling the truth?".

"that King's dead already? Don't think so", Meliodas waved his hand "of all people, Diane, I believe in King. He can take care of himself just fine".

"...you're right", Diane put the brave smile on her face before stood and cheered up "Yosh! Let's go and continue our journey to gather our group!".

Later at the night on their dinner, Elizabeth decided to talk properly with Diane. Elizabeth realized that the giantess seemed upset ever since they left the Forest and Elizabeth hoped she could do something to soothe her "if this is something have to do with me and Meliodas, I apologize".

"no, you shouldn't apologize to me, princess. Instead, it was me who came in between you two. Besides, I'm fine", Diane recited how did she truly feel when she looking at Elizabeth and Meliodas without a lie "deep down in my heart, I realize that I don't have the chance, I have no place in his heart and neither he will look behind over his shoulder to me, nor he will look at me as a woman".

"...I can't express it very well, but my brother once told me it kills you like poison but it's also the cure", Elizabeth smiled sadly "in the end, no matter how painful it has been for you, you can't help but to love him. I think it's what you called as true love. I hope you can find it as well, Lady Diane".

Unbeknownst for two ladies here, Escanor, Meliodas, and Hawk watched them over from far distance, and Hawk whispered to Meliodas "you are really such a heart-breaker, huh?".

Meliodas averted his eyes "I have no idea about what you're talking about".

"by the way, can I just call you Elizabeth? I'm not too confident with such honorifics and I feel like I want to be your friend. You also should just call me Diane".

Elizabeth beamed in delight as they agreed to drop the honorifics "sure!".

"...say, Elizabeth. When I was thinking and wondered, how it felt to have someone you love returning your love and how to experience the love that could have changed your life... suddenly, I remembered something, but I can't quite remember it", Diane told Elizabeth about what she couldn't tell anyone, about how she had lost her childhood memory "it feels like I lived somewhere with someone, happily, but he had to go somewhere and promised me that he would come back to my side. I don't know, I felt so sad as I waited for him but I never can remember it".

As a member of Goddess Clan, Elizabeth was familiar with brainwashing stuff and she knew what this was "I'm afraid you're under the spell, Diane. Someone must have purposely erased your memory, but I can help you with it".

"really? You can help me to remember it?", Diane's face lit up before she fidgeted with her fingers "as thanks, what should I—?".

"no, you've done something for me, so it's my turn to return the favor", Elizabeth shook her head and smiled fondly to Diane who looked confused "you have willingly helped me and Meliodas. Also, you're my friend. It's only natural for us as friends to help each other, right?".

Diane smiled brightly "Elizabeth, you're so kind. Thank you, you're the best!".

As Elizabeth asked, Diane leaned down further and closed her eyes as Elizabeth touched her forehead with her shining hand. After Elizabeth returned her memory, Diane blinked away her tears as Diane remembered, "...how could I forget about him?".

In her head, she remembered about King. The happy life they had shared, how he fulfilled his promise to come back to her side, and to always love her.

"_I will come back to you. I promise"_.

He fulfilled his promise but she forgot him. How could she?

When Diane turned into a crying mess, Elizabeth frantically asked, "Diane, what happened?".

Now Escanor, Meliodas, and Hawk joined them, Diane told them that the one she had loved was actually King. After telling them about how she lost her memories and how she lived with King in her childhood, she cried harder "what should I do, Elizabeth, Captain? If what the little Gil told us... true... then King, he's...".

Something clicked on Elizabeth and Meliodas' head when Escanor and Hawk tried their best to calm down Diane "AH!".

Diane stopped crying. Escanor and Hawk turned to them with questioning looks.

Hawk trotted to the couple "what is it?".

Elizabeth facepalmed "how could we possibly forget about her? Once we arrive on the Necropolis, as long as we have someone who shared a strong bond with the dead and me as the member of Goddess Clan, she can help us to bring the dead".

"I still don't think King's dead already, Elizabeth", Meliodas waved his hand "but she can become our last alternative".

This time, Escanor, Hawk, and Diane asked in unison "who?".

"Merlin has a little sister, the Priestess Iseult. She earned the title 'Holy Maiden'. Not only she has the ability to heal people, she also can bring the dead back to life through the ritual and with several conditions, of course. One of the conditions, she has to revive them when she's on the Necropolis", with resolve and determination on her eyes, Elizabeth encouraged "don't worry, Diane. Just like Meliodas said, perhaps Sir King is alive and even if the worst thing ever happens, we still can bring him back to live with her aide".

* * *

Meanwhile, King lazily floated on the air "Diane, where are you?~",

When something went flying above his head, King wondered "huh? The falling star in the middle of the day? Perhaps I'm mistaking it. Forget it, I have to go to the Necropolis".

On the Necropolis, as he expected, King met with Ban and they fought. Their fight was interrupted by the certain Captain and the fallen angel, though.

When King turned his back and was about to leave, Diane cried out "Harlequin, please don't go! You promised me that you will come back to me!".

King stiffened before looking back with a deep frown at the sight of her tears "Diane, you remembered?".

Not giving him a chance to run away, Diane wrapped her arms to catch King in her arms and kissed him "I love you".

As Elizabeth, Escanor, and Hawk gasped behind him, Meliodas whistled "oh, boy".

When King fell backward, unconscious, Diane was shocked "eh? Harlequin!".

* * *

**A/N :**

_Okay, it's settled, then. I promise the touching (probably) reunion between Meliodas and Elizabeth's group with Lucifer's group will happen in the next chapter. Since I have the Baste Dungeon Arc were destroyed by Ban and Lucifer's group, we can go straight to The Necropolis (The City Of The Dead) Arc.__ If you want to see the details of what happened on the Necropolis including the fight scene between Ban with King and how they were interrupted by Lucifer and Meliodas, check it out on the next chapter~_


	11. Touching Reunion

**.**

**Chapter 11 – ****Touching Reunion**

**.**

* * *

On the sunset, when they took a bath, Ban wondered as he stared to the scars on his body "say, Lucifer. What kind of life you've been going through, that make you having those scars?".

Lucifer raised his eyebrow "gruesome?".

"no, I just interested".

"well, it's long story, mostly I earned these scars from my training back on my homeland rather than my fight on the battlefield, but the most unacceptable and humiliating of all scars in my body", turning his back against him, Lucifer let it shown. In between his shoulder-blades, there was a tattoo fire-shaped number '666' and three pairs of red scars where his wings were supposed to "are these, when someone ripped my wings off of my back. It hurt as hell. Well, for a human, perhaps it felt like your spine was torn off of its place, considering the wings on my clan members are connected to our spine".

Lucifer didn't need to mention about how he was unable to get off of his bed, unable to walk, stand, or even to sit due to his temporary paraplegic, only able to lying on his bed with his daughters, Meliodas, and Elizabeth took care of him in shift. It left three pairs of long red cuts on his back and like the remainder of his **Sin** that day, number 666 was carved on his back, the number of how many lives that had been lost by his hand.

(Merlin and Iseult barely left him. Merlin always put the brave face and encouraged Iseult who barely stopped crying and always concerned about him. Elizabeth took care of everything, helped by Meliodas to care for them)

Shuddering at the description, Ban offered to wash his back in attempt to take a better look on the scars on his back and he cringed internally "who had given these scars to you? I swear it must have hurt like hell".

"my mother, as a punishment that I well-deserved", Lucifer shrugged "not the first time I've got beaten by her, though".

Even Ban thought it was too much as a punishment "for real, Lucifer? I mean, your mother? An abusive single mother?".

"childhood was a complete shit, but I don't focus on it. I only focus on getting stronger to protect the one and only thing I have to protect, my little sister. Despite the beating I've earned from my mother, I could be happy thanks to one thing in my childhood. I guess the fact that I have such an innocent little angel as my little sister, is what makes me can survive it", after drying himself, Lucifer shoved his shirt "but to think she's fallen into the freak of a Demon...".

Well, not the first time Ban heard him bad-mouthing about his little brother-in-law "is he that bad?".

In their way back to the campsite, Lucifer told him to gather the firewood "Nah, deep down, I know he's a good man and he can make my sister happy. I would never hand over my sister to the man I don't approve or I don't acknowledge. I was just shocked to find out that my sister ended up together with... that pervert".

Ban perked "pervert?".

Flatly, Lucifer explained further "the perverted, mischievous little Demon. How could you expect me to not think that way? After all, the first time we met with him was on the battlefield, and of all things to do, he did something that makes me wanted nothing but to slaughter him for what he did to my beloved sister".

Ban twitched his eyebrow "err, what did he do to your sister? That bad to the point you wanted to kill him".

Lucifer sighed in distress as he cut the firewood and started to make the campfire "...I could've sworn that he's our sworn enemy. The first time we met, he stole my little sister's underwear and bra. I could still remember their colors to this day, even. It was white".

When Tristan and Iseult were back, they were surprised to see Ban who toppled over on the ground and clutched his stomach, laughing madly. The clueless couple approached them and asked what happened before Lucifer explained what happened. Iseult facepalmed with a slight flush on her cheeks. Tristan had a tendency to bang his head to the tree bark nearby several times.

Lucifer pointed out as Tristan crouched himself on the ground in an attempt to hide from embarrassment as Iseult tried to comfort him that everything was okay "gladly, Tristan is not a pervert like his father and more like as a sweet cinnamon roll as my sister. Otherwise, I was gonna kill him before he asked for my beloved daughter's hand".

"then I was just gonna elope with him, as Aunt did", Iseult stuck her tongue out and leaned her head on Tristan's back "I don't see the problem of eloping with someone you loved. After all, Aunt and Uncle, just like you and mom, only love each other and tried to live your life with the ones you loved. Nothing's wrong with it, I think".

Lucifer smiled bitterly at that "...yeah, that's how Love always works, honey. It kills you slowly like a poison—".

"—but it's also your only salvation", Iseult tilted her head and smiled, "right? You always said that".

Lucifer smirked and sipped his ale "smart girl".

* * *

They arrived on the Capital Of The Dead and just like its name, the Necropolis felt like an empty, dead city.

Tristan squinted his eyes "wait, I can see the smoke of the smokestack from here".

Ban teased playfully "I wonder how could you see it with those ever-closed eyes?".

Lucifer blinked "are you sure it's not from the campfire?".

When Tristan shook his head, Iseult's face lit up in excitement "really?! Then, perhaps we can check on it! Who knows if it's an inn or tavern?".

Tristan hummed "good idea, maybe we can check and see if we can stay or not".

Iseult grabbed his wrist and dragged her husband "then, let's go!".

"youngsters are sure energetic~", Ban decided a walk around the village would not bring harm "well, I guess I'll take a look. Wanna join me, Lucifer?".

Lucifer declined politely, telling him that he would follow him later "I need to check the gate".

Ban squinted to his friend who walked away from him, he had no idea about what did he mean with this gate thing. Suddenly, he felt someone, or rather something pierce running through his chest and he puking blood. Ban looked behind as he saw a floating figure hovering above him, the one who had sent the spear running through his body.

King smirked smugly "yo, Ban. Long time no see you. Still, remember me?".

"ha? Who the hell are you, brat?".

"...what do I expect of you?".

* * *

Meanwhile, the couple who had long gone to the source of the smoke, just arrived and quite surprised to see a giantess near the tavern. Brunette giantess happily chatted with Iseult and offered them to drink and eat on their tavern. Iseult accepted it gladly, before asking her whether they could stay for a night or not. The giantess seemed hesitant before she told her to just come into the tavern and ask the Captain, the tavern's owner. When Tristan and Iseult came into the tavern, they were welcomed by a talking pig and a ginger-haired man who wiped the glass on his hand. Tristan went straight explaining (that he and his wife were the travelers who needed a place to stay for a night) to Escanor and Hawk, the talking—.

...Wait, a talking pig?

Looking down at the talking pig, Iseult's eyes lit up in the excitement of a child before she showed the very same reaction with Elizabeth's the first time she saw Hawk, caressing Hawk's body while lying her head and upper torso on it "TALKING PIG! So cute!".

Hawk's eyes lit up in delightful "oi, Escanor! Kick those two lovebirds out of their nest to here and tell them that this couple can stay!".

Escanor cleared his throat with slightly flushed cheeks, knocking the closet "um, Captain, ma'am, sorry to disturb you two but it seems like we have guests".

Hawk immediately apologized when he saw how Iseult blushed furiously and covered her face, while Tristan twitched the corner of his mouth incredulously. They were shocked when they saw who exactly the couple who just got out of the closet after Meliodas kicked the closet opened.

Elizabeth flopped out of the closet, rubbing her butt after repositioning her mini skirt "geez, I told you, it's cramped there".

Meliodas smirked suggestively as he reached out his hand to help her "but you don't mind at all from how you moaned inside~".

Looking straight to the struggling couple who interlaced their fingers as they had little wrestle, Tristan blinked rapidly "...father?".

Iseult blinked and tilted her head "eh? Father-in-law?".

Hawk gawked after he processed this and snapped its head to the couple "...wait, he's YOUR son and daughter-in-law?!".

Meliodas and Elizabeth turned their head to their guests and once the recognition hit their brain, they reacted as the parents usually should have when they unexpectantly met with their children that they hadn't met for a long time.

Meliodas jaw-dropped first "ah! Tristan, Iseult!".

Elizabeth instantly let Meliodas go, unintentionally pushing him to Hawk (which Meliodas grumbled under his breath and Hawk snickered) before Elizabeth wrapped her arms around Tristan's and Iseult's shoulders "Tristan, Iseult, my sweet children! Long time no see you two!".

Hawk still snickered "is this normal? This was the first time I saw her pushing you like that, which you deserve sometimes".

"yeah, she forgot me immediately when our son and his wife visited", Meliodas cleaned the dust off of his clothes "and shut your mouth before I turned you into roasted pork, piggy".

Ignoring the usual bickering between Meliodas and Hawk, Elizabeth ruffled Tristan's and Iseult's head "look at how you've grown so big. Oh, you have no idea how I miss you".

Tristan could have let out the crude joke about how his mother jilted him as usual, if not because of the fact that his mother remembered. It successfully turned the couple's faces deadly pale. The very first thing that came to their mind, Elizabeth remembered. She **remembered**. It only meant she would die in three days straight from when she remembered, or perhaps less than three days considering that they didn't even know for how long Elizabeth had remembered.

Iseult squeezed Tristan's bicep "Triss, get yourself together".

With pale face as sheet, Tristan shakily asked "...father, mother is...".

Ah. Right, they didn't know about it. Yet. Escanor and Hawk exchanged glances in pity. The latter even wondered how his beloved Merlin must have felt all along this time.

"Okay, so it's settled. Just like we've discussed, I will tell everything to Tristan and Iseult. Good luck for you later, Elizabeth", Meliodas lifted his thumb to Elizabeth who nodded her head before Meliodas grabbed Tristan's and Iseult's hands, dragging them to speak in the storage room where no one could eavesdrop "okay, now, please calm down and listen to me. Actually—".

**Please wait for a moment...**

Elizabeth patted Tristan's and Iseult's head as they hugged Elizabeth for... a half-hour "there, there, Triss, Iseult, please stop crying already".

A half-hour beforehand, to be more precise, after Meliodas finished his explanation, both Tristan and Iseult had barged out of the storage room, calling her 'mother' boldly and lunged to hug Elizabeth to give her a bear hug. Such a cinnamon roll couple, Meliodas and Elizabeth said. Cute, adorable, and lovely. Knowing that Elizabeth wouldn't die, they were really relieved to the point they were crying mess and wanted nothing but to hug Elizabeth.

Tristan sniffled, wiping his tears vigorously "how could I not cry? I'm so happy and relieved for you and dad, mom".

"me too... I'm so happy that from now on, we don't need to keep our distance...", Iseult hiccupped "no need to hold back ourselves and can just shower you with love and affection without a doubt...".

"oh my, you two are really adorable~", Elizabeth couldn't help but giggle to their antics. Deep down in her heart, she felt a tinge of guilt for how they had felt towards her but she could deal with it later. For now, they still had one more task to do "no need to worry about it anymore. We still have so much time together from now on".

"and to think that you two haven't changed at all...", Tristan rolled his eyes to his father and mother, remembering what they did on the closet when he and his wife just arrived here "at least, I'm glad that you two are healthy".

Elizabeth blushed furiously and Meliodas grinned cheekily at his remarks.

"speaking of which, because you are here, it means my older brother is here too, right?".

Iseult nodded "yes, Aunt. My father is in the village, but I wonder how my father will react?".

Knowing his father in law, Tristan noted "...I bet he's not gonna take this well".

Meliodas and Elizabeth nodded in unison "indeed".

Iseult was unsure now "so... who's gonna tell my father?".

Meliodas crossed his hands before his chest "it can't be me, obviously. I have a hunch feeling he will have my hide and use me as a sparring bag after I tell him. You know, to release his anger".

"Not gonna happen", Elizabeth wrapped her arms around Meliodas' shoulders protectively and hugged him from behind. She wouldn't want anything to happen to her lover "that's why let it be me who tells my brother. Now, how about we go to the village and—".

They heard the explosion from the village and rushed out of the tavern.

Meliodas snapped his head to their outlook "Diane, what's wrong?".

Diane explained that she also had no idea, suddenly there was a shooting star from the sky fell to the village "but this magic power... it can't be...".

"shooting star...", Iseult trailed off before she gasped "Oh, my!".

Tristan clarified "it must be father in law's magic".

"this magic presence, undoubtedly my older brother's... it seems he came in between two magic powers, like trying to stop the fight between two people", Elizabeth murmured "but who?".

Meliodas knitted his eyebrow "these magic presence... King and Ban".

"oh, no! What's gotten into him?", Diane knew King and Ban usually had a fight but never to this level where they tried to kill each other "King!".

Elizabeth spread her wings and grabbed Meliodas' hand, flying to the sky "Diane, wait!".

"let's go", Iseult also spread her wings and grabbed Tristan's hand, flying to the sky. Looking behind her shoulder, she called to Escanor and Hawk "meet us in the village, okay?".

* * *

After he made sure the location of the gate to the Necropolis this time (heck, sometimes the gate could shift somewhere but never left this village, always in this village), Lucifer felt it from the village, two different magic power clashed against each other. When he arrived there, he saw Ban was struck with a spear running through his chest.

Well, he knew his new friend was immortal but the sight of someone got stabbed in the chest and still alive, only spewing bloods from his mouth, to say it was unnerving sight, it would be an understatement.

Landing on the ground right in between Ban and King, Lucifer turned to him, folding his wings "yo, Ban. You're still alive, right?".

Ban wiped the blood from his mouth "yeah, regrettably, I'm immortal so obviously, yes, I'm alive~".

King squinted his eyes rapidly before shaking his head and rubbing his eyes. When he opened his eyes again, King thought he was just imagining a thing. King could have sworn he had seen wings came out of this newcomer's back but now, the wings were nowhere to be seen. Perhaps he had just mistaken it, yep.

(Bad luck, King. Actually, Lucifer has retracted his wings back into his body, that's why you can no longer see his wings).

Lucifer looked back and forth between King and Ban "so... care to tell me what happened here?".

Ban told him in annoyance "I don't know who is this brat, but he tried to kill me and keeps attacking me fiercely, which it's no use since I'm immortal".

"I suggest you stay out of my way, stranger", King floated down "this is the problem between old friends".

"...but he said you're his old friend", Lucifer pointed to King, turning to Ban "try to remember it. Don't tell me your immortality wrecked your brain and your memory failed you?".

"don't talk as if I'm an old man~ wait, I already am, in fact. Only my body isn't. And don't talk that way, I'm not senile~".

"Well, to be perfectly honest, my friend, I know someone immortal whose brain got wrecked due to their immortality. Two of them, in fact. One is having suicidal tendencies. The other one is having mental instability which caused by mental disorders named the Borderline Personality Disorder", looking at the total confusion on his friend's face (that he thought ridiculous, really), Lucifer cleared his throat "let my daughter fills you with it later, okay?".

"you really have such an acquaintance, Lucifer~ introduce them to me later, would ya? I'd like to meet someone immortal other than me. Perhaps, they can be my friend to drink like you~", Ban pointed his chin up to King "and? Would you be so kind as to lend me your hand?".

"nope", Lucifer deadpanned, walking away "like this kid said, this is your business with him. I'm just an outsider here. Good luck".

Ban jaw-dropped as his eyes widened "seriously, Lucifer!? You're just gonna watch us when someone tried to kill your friend here? What kind of a friend you are?".

Lucifer simply crossed his arms before his chest and stood to watch from the far distance "I'm quite the pacifist one, Ban. As long as it's unneeded, I don't want to fight. It's not like you will die, anyway".

"_say the one who destroyed Baste Dungeon..."_, Ban twitched his eyebrow "well, true, but—".

"smart step", King snapped his finger and ordered the Second Form of Chastiefol, Guardian to catch Ban. After the Guardian caught Ban, King floated down "to satisfy your own Greed, as the price of your immortality, you killed the Guardian Saint of the Fountain Youth. But you don't know **who** did you kill...".

Ban drawled with sing-song tone "that's why, I said... who the hell are you? How could you know about that woman?".

"The Guardian Saint of the Fountain Youth, the woman you killed—", King grabbed Ban's collar "—is no one other than my little sister, Elaine!".

Ban narrowed his eyes, looking straight to King with an unreadable expression before Ban provoked King to try on killing him, the immortal. Lucifer watched the exchange with a thoughtful expression and he froze when the realization of what had happened here, hit his head. It struck him, remembering him of the old memory.

* * *

_Meliodas bowed his head further "kill me, Lucifer"._

_Lucifer gritted his teeth "you are an idiot... This is not what my sister would want!"._

_Looking up with his teary-eyes, Meliodas cried out "I'm tired... I just want the pain to stop... I tried but just like I've been the one who survived, she's been the one who kept dying... I should have been the one who died instead of her... I should have done this sooner because I am the reason for her death... just kill me before I kill her again!"._

_Merlin cried out, hugging Lucifer from behind "Father, no! I beg you! Please, don't do it! Don't kill him! I can't lose him too after I lost Sis-Sis!"._

* * *

When King used the Third Form of Chastiefol to petrify Ban's body, both King and Ban were shocked because not only Ban's petrification had disappeared, but also Lucifer who had been silent, interfered as he carried Ban over his shoulder.

King narrowed his eyes and growled, "...what do you think you're doing?".

"Sorry, I've changed my mind", Lucifer deadpanned and lifted his hand "from my perspective, we just know what happened from your subjective, we don't even know from Ban's perceptive. How about we try to see it objectively and let's listen to his story?".

"you really should step back, an outsider. Why would you even interfere now?".

After Lucifer put him down on the ground, Ban lazily scratched his nape "I think you said you are the pacifist one and don't want to interfere. What's gotten into you?".

"Ban, the reason of why I asked you to come with us after you broke out of the jail that day...", Lucifer stood and smiled "...because you kind of reminded me with my old self and my brother-in-law".

Ban opened his mouth, about to ask him what did he mean but King reached out his hand, pointing his Chastiefol behind Lucifer "if you don't want to step back, then I will just kill you along with him".

"the type of someone who prefers to use muscle rather than their brain, huh?", Lucifer knew that King was serious. Either he complied with his request to step back or he interfered, King would kill Ban no matter what. If it was needed because Lucifer got in his way, King even would kill him as well. It seemed he had no choice. From his weapon and the aura of the Fairy, Lucifer could recognize him as Fairy King, just like Gloxinia and Dahlia "oh, my... it can't be helped, I guess. You should be honored, Fairy King. Since my opponent is you, I guess I have no choice but to use **this**".

Ban and King were dumbfounded "huh?".

Lucifer stood and spread his wings. Three pairs of dark wings as dark as night came out of his back and his eyes turned into red "**Seraphim** mode : on".

King's eyes widened and he snapped his finger "Spirit Spear Chastiefol Form Eight: Pollen Garden!".

Just barely. If King hadn't used the Pollen Garden to protect himself from the shooting star that came down from the sky, he would have doomed. King shuddered when he realized just how massive magic power that came from Lucifer.

"oh? It seems you're not that weak, though I should say, you're still nothing compared to Gloxinia and Dahlia", the smoke dissipated, revealing Lucifer. Ban realized there was another tattoo on his back that appeared, precisely under his nape in between his shoulderblade. Tattoo in the shape of a red sword with six wings protruding from the sword. Not only that, but there also was the dark markings on his body that looked like his veins bulged and throbbed, just like the vines of the roses. Beautiful, but deadly. Lucifer could read Ban and King's mind, so he explained "oh, I believe you would like to hear my explanation. Even in the Goddess Clan, there's a special Angel that known as Seraphim. Seraphim is known as the strongest of our brethren who born with six wings and the mark on my back, the birthmark in shape a red sword with six wings protruding out of it. We are known as ones to protect our Gods, it's only fair that we're the strongest of our brethren".

King gulped "it can't be... I think the goddesses has been extinct?!".

"not all of us", Lucifer smirked devilishly "now, don't make me bored, Fairy King. Don't worry, I will go easy on you and I will not use my Sacred Treasure. Think of it as my mercy, otherwise, you will instantly die in my hand".

Before Lucifer's **Ark** hit King, Meliodas came in between them, using his **Counter Vanish** to dispel Lucifer's Ark.

King's eyes widened "Captain!".

Meliodas grinned, looking behind over his shoulder "yo, long time no see you, King!".

Before Lucifer and King could react, they heard someone screaming "older brother Lucifer! You have to stop right now!".

Lucifer turned his head and his eyes widened "...Elizabeth?".

"older brother Lucifer...", Elizabeth clenched her fist on her chest and exhaled. She smiled tearily before she lunged into him and hugged him "I missed you so much!",

Lucifer inhaled her scent, she was just like her original form, she had the scent of fresh Lily which she loved, she smiled brightly when she hugged him, soothing him. Lucifer snapped out of his Seraphim form, the markings on his body disappeared and his wings retracted back to his body as he hugged her back.

Wait. She remembered about him, it means...

With pale face as sheet, Lucifer broke the hug and grabbed her shoulders "Ellie, you...".

Elizabeth turned beet red and squealed in delight when Meliodas chose this moment to greet him as he crawled on Elizabeth's torso and groped her breast shamelessly "yo, Lucy dear! Long time no see you!".

Diane, Escanor, and Hawk who had gotten used to it (well, they tried to) only could facepalm. Ban had rarely lost at words but this time, he totally lost words. King blushed furiously after thinking he had to give his thanks to Elizabeth and the Captain for saving his life from Lucifer.

"yo, Meliodas...", Lucifer smiled with what you could consider as the gentle, warm smile "long time no see you too, but...".

Elizabeth turned slightly pale and stuttered about how her brother really should calm down. Tristan and Iseult instantly rushed to their side, they pulled Elizabeth away from Lucifer and Meliodas with the notion to 'retreat'. The Sins and Hawk had no idea about what happened but they understood what happened right away after Lucifer sent the blast of energy to Meliodas, which easily dodged by the Demon.

It only angered Lucifer further as he prepared another **Ark** on his hand "hands off of my little sister! No groping in public! And what I told you before to not call me that, you little freak!?".

When Lucifer successfully caught him, Lucifer grabbed Meliodas by the collar, violently shaking his body as Lucifer gave the load about how to be the gentleman and how to treat woman properly to his ear. Elizabeth tried to convince her older brother to stop, that she was fine, but Lucifer bought none of it and scolded Elizabeth about how she should have more dignity and not being too innocent.

Looking at how Meliodas couldn't fight Lucifer back and had no choice but to listen to his older brother in law's rambling, Hawk lifted its paw "I started to like this dude!".

When they started to calm down, King attempted to leave but realizing it, Diane stopped him and cried out "Harlequin, please don't go! You promised me that you will come back to me!".

King stiffened before looking back with deep frown at the sight of her tears "Diane, you remembered?".

Not giving him a chance to run away, Diane wrapped her arms to catch King in her arms and kissed him "I love you".

Everyone below gasped in shock. You could even hear the pin dropped here.

As Elizabeth, Escanor, and Hawk gasped behind him, Meliodas whistled "oh, boy".

When King fell backward, unconscious, Diane was shocked "eh? Harlequin!".

Ban totally lost it, he laughed it off "finally! Who knows they can finally be together?".

"Ban, it's not good to laugh at people like that", Lucifer waved his hand to his friend before trying to calm down the frantic Diane "Miss, calm down. He's only unconscious. I guess whoever got kissed by the woman he loved when they just reunited would collapse unconscious unless he's a shameless man like Meliodas".

Meliodas nodded his head and hummed with suggestive smirk "yup, I will kiss her back, torridly".

Elizabeth covered her blushing face with her hands, you could even see the steams coming out of her head.

"...I wonder if these two get along well or not", Escanor turned to the married couple, Tristan and Iseult "are they always like this?".

Tristan and Iseult nodded their head "yes, they are".

When they waited King to regain his consciousness, Elizabeth convinced Lucifer that she wouldn't die, she had remembered for, heck, a few weeks ago.

"...I don't know what to say", Lucifer hugged her and buried his face on her shoulder "I'm just so glad that we're not gonna lose you anymore".

Meliodas patted Lucifer's head "don't cry, Lucy Dear~".

Ban didn't know what happened, but he patted his new friend's back "don't cry, my friend~".

A vein popped in his head as Lucifer pursued them "Meliodas, get your butt down here so I can kill you!? And Ban, don't group with my brother-in-law now?!".

Tristan shook his head and sighed loudly "...kids. I'm surrounded by a bunch of kids".

"But you will not mind if it's our kid, right?", Iseult grinned seductively whispering near his ear "would you want a daughter or a son? I'd prefer a daughter, though~".

Tristan hugged her and rubbed his cheek against the crown of her head "as long as she's beautiful like you, I don't mind~".

Lucifer turned back to Elizabeth "oh, by the way... how did it happen? Any idea? What my daughter said about it, in case you have met her?".

Meliodas lifted his hand "good luck... or should I come with you?".

"no need", Elizabeth smiled to him as she dragged her older brother to come with her "we will come back right away. Also, I believe your comrades will want the explanation from you, Meliodas~".

"Cap'n~ I've heard so many rumors ever since I broke out of the prison, so I need your explanation...", Ban quirked his smile before he grabbed him by the collar "have you seriously eloped with the third princess of Liones!? How the hell Lucifer, Tristan, and Iseult are your brother-in-law, son, and daughter-in-law?!".

Meliodas lifted his hand "whoa, slow down, Ban. I'm gonna explain it, now sit down. As for King...".

From the corner of their eyes, they saw King had regained his consciousness and apologized to Diane. Diane shook her head, telling him that she was the one who should have apologized because she forgot everything about him in the past and had hurt him. In the end, everything was ended up well between the giantess and Fairy King who officially turned into the lovers now. Now, they only needed to explain his relationship with Elizabeth, also clear up the problems between King and Ban. However, they needed to wait for Lucifer and Elizabeth back.

That was when they heard Lucifer's scream "ARE YOU FRICKING KIDDING ON ME?!".

Meliodas facepalmed, fully knowing Lucifer wouldn't like this "told you".

Tristan nodded in understanding "to say father-in-law wouldn't like this, is an understatement".

Iseult only could smile nervously "...I'll try to ask my sister to talk with him later".


	12. City Of The Dead

**.**

**Chapter 1****2**** – City Of The Dead**

**.**

* * *

"ARE YOU FRICKING KIDDING ON ME?!".

Meliodas deadpanned as he saw Elizabeth and Lucifer rushing back to here "told you".

Elizabeth pursued him "older brother, wait!?".

With both eyes closed and a deep frown on his handsome face, Lucifer walked faster "no, Ellie, I don't want to speak or listen to anything about it".

"But you can't possibly do it!", Elizabeth grabbed his wrist "brother, listen to me!".

"no, I don't care, okay?", Lucifer snapped coldly, turning to Meliodas "oi, Meliodas. Tell me, what's the plan?".

"well, it's exactly what she told you", Meliodas tilted his head with both hands crossed before his chest "but for now, let's go to the Necropolis".

When Meliodas patted Elizabeth's head, telling her to give him a break, Iseult shook her head "father... should I ask my sister to talk with you?".

Ban asked curiously "what's the problem, anyway?~".

"Nothing important. Only the family problem between me with my sister and our mother, that's all you need to know", Lucifer said curtly before turning to King and Diane "and lovebirds there, when you've finished already, get your butt down here so we can clear everything up".

"so what I'm gonna say—", King yelled back indignantly "oh, shut up! This is the last topic we should clarify about!".

Lucifer deadpanned, tilting his head to the side "about the fact you are the one who erased your lover's memory?".

All of them were shocked and King flinched when they all shouted, "YOU DID WHAT!?".

Then, King explained everything about what happened ever since he left the Fairy King's Forest, how he lost his memory, saved by Diane and lived together with her, to meet again with Helbram and how he stuck in Seven Deadly Sins' team "I don't ask you to forgive me or to understand my choice. I need to atone for my Sin, the sin of causing so much suffering to my friend for such a long, long time... and never even knowing it".

Lucifer and Elizabeth shared the same grief look on their eyes at King's remarks, Meliodas and Ban realized it but decided to fret over them later.

Mercilessly, Lucifer said, "if I can be honest, you are an idiot".

"Sorry, King. Not that I don't understand how do you feel, but I agree with my brother-in-law this time".

King yelled indignantly to Lucifer, again "what do you know?".

"exactly what I said, you are an idiot. If I were on your shoes, I would never erase her memory, instead, I would like to talk over about it with my lover so she could decide, whether she would wait for me, leave me, or even want to share about it. I know it sounded selfish of me, but I don't want to leave my lover clueless like that. I prefer to let her know, so she can decide about what should she do with our relationship".

King asked in disbelief "do you mean to let your lover shoulder your sin together with you?".

"_We already have"_, Lucifer's eyes glossed over with something unreadable before he said with those void eyes "my Sin is something I should bear alone. I only want to leave the decision to her. If she can't wait for me and choose to leave me, as long as she's happy even if she doesn't belong to me, I'm fine with it and I can live with it. After all, what I want is only her happiness and I don't want to see her suffer because of the burden of my Sin. However, we're not speaking about me, we're speaking about you, Fairy King. My point is, what you did to Lady Diane, to erase her memory, it was so wrong and coward move. You didn't even think about how does she feel in case she ever remembers, did you?".

Ban slung his hand over Lucifer's shoulder. He really liked his new buddy "he has the point~".

Looking to how King lowered his head in shame, Lucifer continued "but it's a good thing that you can be honest about it with her and apologize to her. I think... a man who can realize and acknowledge his mistakes, is truly a brave man and not coward".

Tristan shifted closer "my father is included?".

Lucifer deadpanned "he's simply a mischievous pervert".

Meliodas only could say "it's so mean of you, brother-in-law".

King had to admit "Captain, you have such a savage man as your brother-in-law".

Iseult clapped her hands "okay, let's hear what Lady Diane's mind".

Diane smiled sweetly "of course, I forgive you, King".

King burst out into tears "Diane... I really don't deserve such forgiveness...".

Diane shook her head before eyeing Elizabeth who mouthed 'continue' and Diane went on, nervously twiddling her hair with her finger.

"no, don't apologize when I am the one who should apologize to you, King. Without even knowing how many tears and pain you've been going through, even if I've been so close with you, I forgot all of it. Instead of you, I am the one who should apologize, but you know, King? The precious memories that have been engraved deeply into your heart, even if you forget about them temporarily, or they become obscured and hidden through the mist, they never completely disappeared. When I remembered thanks to Elizabeth's help, I felt terribly guilty, blamed myself, and couldn't forgive myself, why did I forget it? Without I knew, again, you just tried to protect me, doing what you think as what's the best for me. After I remembered, I have something that I've always wanted to say...", Diane tilted her head and smiled "King, I always have and always will love you. Do you still feel that way about me, even now, King?".

"I will always love you and be by your side", King floated up and kissed her "can I fulfill my promise from now on?".

With flushed cheeks, Diane smiled brightly after she touched her lips "you have".

Meliodas clapped his hands "congratulations on our new officially couple!".

The others clapped their hands and congratulated the blushed couple before King floated down with a harsh glare to Ban, and Lucifer who stood in front of Ban instantly "now, I have business with your new friend, Sir. Can you move aside?".

Lucifer obliged, turning his body to Ban "Ban, explain it to him. He has the right to know, as Lady Elaine's older brother".

"Lucifer, just because you have read my mind as you please~".

"oh, even without my ability to read people's mind, I can know just from a single glance, Ban", Lucifer lifted his forefinger, pointedly staring to him as he clutched Ban by the collar "the lost looks on your eyes when King told you that Elaine is his little sister, the way your eyes stared into the scenes from the long time ago, it's not the eyes of a bastard who killed a woman to earn the immortality for satisfying his Greed. It's the eyes of a pathetic man who failed to protect the woman he loved, blamed himself of everything, and could never forgive himself, to the point you don't even care with your life and wished to die instead, so you can meet with her again. So, when an older brother of the woman you loved came to kill you, you decided it would be best for you to die in his hands. Dare to tell us that I'm wrong?".

Ban frowned and swatted his hand, pushing him before turning his back against him "...I hate this part of you. How could you do it to me, Lucifer? To see through me like that and mercilessly said it...".

"as I said, you've kinda reminded me with my old self, but you're welcome. You're not the first person who said it. Now, you have two options", Lucifer chuckled bitterly, lifting his fingers, "tell it with your own mouth, or let me tell the story because I don't want to let this misunderstanding, you know?".

Ban groaned under the scrutinizing eyes of the spectators here "argh, alright, alright, I will tell them all".

Meliodas lifted his thumbs and tossed his knuckles against Lucifer's "other than me, you are the very first people who can make him obedient, older brother-in-law. Great job".

Lucifer smirked, "you're welcome, little brother-in-law".

On the side, Escanor struck in awe, thinking in wonder _"no wonder Merlin is so proud and adores him. He's really a good man with dignity, kindness, and sincerity like Princess Elizabeth"_.

King lifted his shaking finger "Ban, 20 years ago, you...".

"as you guys knew, I was a Bandit and when I wanted to steal the Fountain Of the Youth, I met her", Ban intertwined his knuckles "Elaine, the Guardian Saint".

As expected, after Ban finished his story with Elaine, they were crying mess (except Meliodas, Lucifer, and Tristan, of course). King apologized to Ban for his misunderstanding before scolding Ban about how Ban should have explained and told him about it sooner. Now, after the problem between King with Diane and Ban were solved, they all stared to Lucifer, Meliodas, and Elizabeth.

Elizabeth chuckled nervously "Uhm, is there something in our face?".

Ban mockingly said, "exactly, princess, you and your 'husband' have a lot of things to explain with~".

Tristan and Iseult decided to 'stay-put' this time. Like it or not, Lucifer had to help them because he just couldn't afford to ignore his little sister's expectant, pleading eyes and his little brother-in-law's stare.

"Alright, I know we have a lot of things to explain with", Lucifer rubbed his temples, thinking he could not believe himself doing this "as you know, I have an ability to read people's mind, so I know how far each of you knows the story and let me help them to explain it, okay?".

After Lucifer earned the consent of each people here, Escanor wondered even more about how this man could handle the complicated situation in their hands.

Lucifer asked them all to sit down, which they obeyed "first of all, you obviously know about the Coffin of Eternal Darkness?".

King nodded his head "yes, of course".

Diane who sat near King, nodding her head "yeah, Elizabeth and the Captain had told me about it".

Ban grinned lopsided and scratched his nape "well, I admit, my friend... I don't know about it".

Meliodas deadpanned "figure it out".

They looked to Ban's direction as if they just found the alien here before Lucifer went explaining about what was the Coffin of Eternal Darkness and what was the function.

"Surely, I don't need to explain how the Ancient Holy War happened, right? How all Clans, Goddess, Human, Giant, and Fairy cooperated to fight against Demon Clan".

Ban nodded his head "well, I'm not that clueless".

"Okay, good. Goddess Clan knew this seal wouldn't last forever, thus they decided to scatter the Coffin of Eternal Darkness into several fragments and one of it", Lucifer lifted his chin pointing to Meliodas who sat side by side with Elizabeth "is the green Dragon hilt on Meliodas' broken sword".

Ban's eyes widened "I seriously thought it's just a thrash!".

Meliodas sniggered "well, we did need someone to keep it safe. Goddesses surely would need someone who strong enough to help them protect it, right? Nishishi~".

With both hands fisted on her lap, Elizabeth frowned "but now, the seal's weakened".

Meliodas squeezed her hands before thinking carefully. From Ban's story, no wonder he hated Demon and King was skeptical, cautious, and perceptive. They didn't even tell Diane the whole truth. Lucifer read his mind and he chose to speak at this point.

To prevent anyone here to read his feelings, Lucifer closed his eyes when he spoke after taking a deep breath "about 3.000 years ago in the middle of the Ancient Holy War, I found Elizabeth and Meliodas' corpses—".

They sucked a deep breath and stopped breathing. Both Meliodas and Elizabeth closed their eyes and lowered their head further with their bangs masking their expression. Tristan, Iseult, the Sins, and Hawk lost at words before Lucifer continued.

"—not too long before the end of the Holy War. My late wife told me once about the magic spell that could make us meet with the people of our previous life that we want to meet with. I know the magic spells to make someone remember their past-lives memories when they reincarnate. I used it", Lucifer leaned his chin on his intertwined knuckles "although it needed years before I got to see with my little sister again. Of course, with her lover by her side".

"why, thank you, Lucifer~", Meliodas grinned broadly before toppling backward and leaning the back of his head on Elizabeth's breasts "you know us better than anyone that we're one package!".

A vein popped on his head as Lucifer smiled friendly but his hand wrapped itself around Meliodas' neck in a head-lock "you're welcome. As much as annoying and immature you can be sometimes, I prefer to see my sister's happiness".

Elizabeth cleared her throat, still blushing of the notion about her and Meliodas being one package (she would never mind about it at all) "back to the business like you know, the Goddess Clan members lost their physical body when they sacrificed themselves to seal away the Demon Clan. You could say we were safe because, at that time, I and Meliodas already died, waiting for our next lives while my older brother, Lucifer was dying and safely confined by his daughters".

"not to mention, I also wasn't the part of the party when they sealed Demon Clan away, which is why I didn't need to lose my physical body", Lucifer stuck his tongue out, rolling his eyes to his blushing daughter "though, I have to admit, I was shocked to find myself buried in the middle of that place with my daughters nearby. Because they were cute, I forgave them".

Tristan curiously pushed his wife "honey, what are you doing to your father?".

Meliodas and Elizabeth covered their mouth and hugged each other's body to muffle their laughter as Lucifer blushed slightly.

Iseult twiddled with her locks before covering her red face in embarrassment "...put him on the flower garden".

King twitched his eyebrow "...excuse me?".

"argh, I and my sisters contained immense magic powers and with our father dying, also both father-in-law and mother-in-law were nowhere around us to protect us neither we could find them, so many evil people wanted to 'use' me and my sisters because of our immense magic powers!", Iseult didn't so openly tell them, continued her rambling "thankfully, the little sister of First Fairy King Gloxinia and Fairy King Dahlia offered us to stay with them in the Fairy King's Forest. Only until our father recovered, which it took a rather long time considering how bad his injuries. It was a miracle he could survive, even. I and my sisters cried because we thought we could have lost him".

Elizabeth, Meliodas, and Lucifer patted Iseult's head as Tristan hugged his wife soothingly. However, if you thought about it, it was ridiculous, really. The image of Lucifer was sleeping in the middle of the flower garden at the Forest with his daughters watched over nearby. King and Diane thought it was so cute, indeed. King, Diane, Escanor, and Hawk didn't dare to laugh, though. Because when Ban laughed it off, Lucifer mercilessly kicked him, sending him flying. Somehow, Escanor remembered the story about Sleeping Beauty or Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs.

Ban meant it as a joke "and at that time, you two found them in the Fairy King's Forest?".

From Meliodas' grin, Lucifer's blush, and Elizabeth's smile, YES.

Meliodas cheerfully announced, "it was a shame of us, but I and Elizabeth lost!".

King didn't know what to say "I don't think it's something you could be proud of, Captain".

"well, the thing is, I was reincarnated as an herbalist at that time, and we had traveled to find the herbs", Elizabeth didn't tell out loud the details, which reincarnation she was "at first, we just lost in the foggy woods and we ended up entering the Fairy King's Forest. There, we found my brother".

Meliodas hummed, with all seriousness "it was so cute! Though I admit even I was shocked to find him sleeping in the middle of a flower garden with his daughters watched over him nearby, hoping him to get well soon... so cute of them, although not all of his daughters are still cute now. Iseult is still cute, but her sisters... one is obnoxious and one is—".

Lucifer smacked his head "live it down already, and stop bad-mouthing my daughters".

Iseult chuckled "oh, are you referring to my sisters?".

"helped by my older brother Lucifer and his daughters, I and Meliodas have been living on mortal realm ever since 3.000 years ago. I lost my past-lives memories every time I reincarnate. Because sometimes I didn't remember my past-lives memories when I reincarnate, mostly it was Meliodas with my brother and his daughters who have been taking care about 'watch over' the seal", Elizabeth continued before they entered the Danafor part "and 16 years ago, when someone tried to break the seal, I lost my life as a Demon killed me and I reincarnated as Elizabeth Liones".

"you can figure out the story after that. I carried Elizabeth out of the destructed Danafor and lived on the Liones Kingdom because Baltra and Zaratras found us!".

"still calling him only with a name? Remember, he's gonna be your father-in-law once you and Ellie get married officially", Lucifer ruffled Meliodas' hair "your carefree attitude is unbelievable, Meliodas".

After Lucifer, Elizabeth, and Meliodas explained about how corrupted the Holy Knights of Liones right now and how they realized the connection between Zaratras' assassination 10 years ago, more or less, they could predict who was the main culprit.

When they finally understood how serious the problem in their hands, King mumbled, "I see, so there are people who cooperated to revive the Demon Clan".

Ban spat with so much hatred "tch, Demon Clan again, huh?".

"_Meliodas, Elizabeth, don't worry, I have done a little 'brainwash' on Ban's head, so with the way our conversation went on, you two are safe for now. What they knew, for now, Elizabeth is a goddess who has reincarnated multiple times as humans and they would not think that Meliodas, who has guarded the Coffin of Eternal Darkness, as a part of Demon Clan. However, you're safe only for now. When you two think it's entirely fine to tell them all about the whole truth and you're ready, tell me, so I can help when the time's come"_.

Listening to Lucifer's voice through telepathy, Elizabeth and Meliodas immediately hugged Lucifer who blinked his eyes in confusion to the two "...what's so sudden?".

Meliodas looked up with his broad grin "well, just want to tell you, thank you so much for everything!".

Elizabeth smiled brightly "and I missed you, badly".

"you two, really...", Lucifer smiled fondly and hugged them back "it's adorable of you, so I don't mind".

After Diane cooed about how cute they were, they broke the hug. When they wanted to discuss their further plan, two kids came to them and asked if Lucifer and Elizabeth were the Goddess. Well, it was not quite wrong.

One of the kids, the little sister, Ellen told them "yesterday, a Vampire and a Nun entered the Necropolis but the Nun said to us that today, there are Goddesses who will come here. She asked us to tell you all when we meet you".

King eyed Diane "a Vampire and a Nun? Such a contradictive, interesting pair".

Diane mumbled voluntarily "I wonder if this Vampire is the part of Vampires that we fought 12 years ago?".

Elizabeth crouched in front of the kids and smiled gently "kids, would you so kindly to tell us, what did she say? How do they look like?".

When Ellen and her older brother told them about how did they look like, Meliodas, Elizabeth, Tristan, Iseult, and mostly Lucifer, looked far tenser than before. After Ellen and her older brother told them how did they look like, Ellen told them "she said, she's waiting for you in the Necropolis".

Meliodas grabbed Elizabeth's hand, turning his head to where they could feel the wave of magic "then let's go, to the Necropolis".

Diane asked them all "anyway, why should we go to the Necropolis? I mean, we have found King".

King scratched his cheek and explained his reason "to be honest, I want to meet with my little sister".

Diane suggested him to go "but how do we enter the Necropolis?".

Ban looked around "yeah, don't see the gate at all around here~".

"a priceless memory shared with the deceased will open the path to the Capital", Tristan turned to his wife "but since my wife is here, we can enter the Necropolis without any difficulties".

Iseult smiled broadly "it's my job, after all~".

Elizabeth looked so worried and finally, she asked, "...as I thought, older brother, I think—".

Lucifer cut her off harshly "if you want to tell me it's better for me to stay when all of you go to the Necropolis, live it down. I'm going no matter what".

"don't talk to her like that. Is it so wrong for your sister to worry about you? Of course, she's worried about you, right? After all, if what those kids described were true...", Meliodas growled, squeezing his lover's hand "once you meet her—".

"either it's me or her who's gonna die. Well, probably me, because she's gonna try to kill me", Lucifer smiled sadly "right?".

Surprisingly, Elizabeth yelled "I just reunited with my older brother! How can I afford to lose you right away?".

Escanor lifted his hand "any explanation about what's gonna happen, Captain?".

Lucifer simply answered, "...it's the curse".

"We don't mention it on our story because we don't know she's here, but because she's here, then we have no choice", Meliodas added right away "there's a curse afflicted between them two. Even if he's the **Fallen Angel**, Lucifer is part of Goddess Clan. If she and Lucifer meet, she will try to kill him with all her might because she's **Angra Mainyu**".

Escanor asked involuntarily "a curse? From who?".

Lucifer tipped his head backward and answered, "...my mother...".

Elizabeth added indignantly "and the Demon King".

* * *

**A/N:**

_I will update the White Enchantress newest chapter if not tomorrow morning, then tomorrow night. Check it out. Any reviews and constructive criticism welcomed._


	13. All Evil Of The World

**.**

**Chapter 13 – All Evil Of The World**

**.**

* * *

Seraphina looked up, covering her lower face with the edge of her blanket "Mercy, could you tell me the story again before I sleep?".

Mercy smiled and nodded his head "sure, what story you want to know, princess?".

Seraphina looked deep in thought before she decided to ask what had been bugging her mind "I know and understand the reason why uncle Lucifer is known as the **'Fallen Angel'**, or why mother is known as the **'Cursed Goddess'** but why Aunt Faust is known as the **'Angra Mainyu'**?".

Well, it was quite the story. True story of Faust had been kept as a secret because the real, entire story had been locked by the hands of the Gods themselves. However, since this was Seraphina, it was alright to tell her the story.

* * *

_Once upon a time, there was a woman who born with unique ability on the metropolis called Belialuin. She didn't have an ability to fight, neither she possessed incredible skill to fight as a warrior usually had._

_She only possessed strange magic power that was known as '__**All Knowledge Of The World**__'._

_It was strange but immense and unique magic power. It could answer all questions that came to her but it was not a prophecy like a seer would see. She even could know the answer of what were upcoming events from the future or the past, sort-of the precognition and the retrocognition but it was also not Clairvoyance._

_Her name was Faust._

_Faust's parents were a scientist and an elite of the wise men. They always told her that they were so proud of her but behind her, she knew they only used her as their object and knowing her unique magic power, along with her parents' comrades, they used her as a guinea pig. From their research, they knew that the main source of her magic power was her brain. When she was 8 years old, she found out they had tried to create Homunculus from her DNA and she found her clones on the secret laboratory. Faust exploded an entire laboratory before running away from her home and she arrived on the outskirt of the downhill where she met her destined mate for the first time._

_On the yellowish field of wheat, she dropped to her knees and laughed crazily for the first time of her disobedience. For the first time, she felt freedom and she felt the disobedience was so relieving._

"_are you alright?"._

_There, she met with silver-haired youth around her age who looked down to her with clear concern on those blue eyes. She wondered why would he ask her about whether she was alright or not._

_Cupping her cheeks, he lifted her chin up and wiped the blood that came out of her nose "look, you're bleeding, from your nose. Do you feel dizzy or something?"._

_Now, she thought about it, she felt dizzy and before she totally lost her consciousness, she felt like she saw a little girl approaching them and calling this male in front of her as 'Lucifer'._

_Next time she regained her consciousness, she was lying on her bed at her house. Her parents told her that Lucifer of Goddess Clan found her and healed her before he brought her home. It seemed like she overusing her magic power and some of her brain nerves exploded. Now, she knew why she had gotten terrible headache lately now. That brief moment was enough to make her fallen into him. For her, he was her first love. However, she was a mere human and he was a Crowned Prince of Goddess Clan. _

_What she could offer to him as a woman and how could she possibly win over his heart when she even lost her magic power after she got the unrepairable __damage on __her brain?_

_Well, perhaps it was just like what people said, that First Love usually went unrequited. _

_When she came on age, she couldn't let her family down so she accepted her marriage with the Chief of Sage. She worked as a scientist and physician, ruled over their Clan by his side, but never had once he treated her as a woman. She asked an advice from her friend, Mephistopheles (since Belialuin was the neutral metropolis, they could befriend with Demons or Goddesses) about how to earn the affection and love from her husband as a woman. Faust didn't know that Mephistopheles was in love with her and it was a wrong move. As if not enough with Mephistopheles tricked her, even her husband didn't want to listen to her explanation and did some experiments on her. Thanks to his experiments, anyway, a little of her magic power was back. About how to use her magic power, it was so simple, she just needed to ask and she would get the answer. _

_When she used her magic power to ask a simple question "what should I do?"._

_Her magic power, __**All Knowledge Of The World**__ answered "run away from here and never return, and don't look behind. Run until you meet someone who reaches out their hand to you"._

_She did and the one who reached out their hand to her, no one other than Lucifer of Goddess Clan. She was supposed to be happy, that she could meet him again even if he seemed not remember her, neither he remembered their very first meeting, it seemed. However, all she could feel right now was only the numbness, after so many experiments, torture, and medicines had gotten into herself. She was wreck._

_She asked in her mind about how to break free from this pain and to never feel it again._

_**All Knowledge Of The World**__ answered she should ask him to kill her._

_She asked again, why should she ask him and why it has to be him?_

_**All Knowledge Of The World**__ answered because he was the only existence on this world who could kill her._

_Perhaps it was true, because in fact, she thought it was not bad at all, to die on his hands. So, she asked him with sad, broken-hearted smile on her face "kill me, Lucifer"._

_Surprisingly, Lucifer refused and when she asked him why, Lucifer pulled her into his embrace and he kissed her "because you are my first love"._

_Their story was supposed to be a happy ending, if not because of the fact she died on the childbirth but Faust was human and she could reincarnate. However, when they reunited again, she was not the same as Faust, the woman he loved._

_Lucifer blinked "Borderline Personality Disorder?"._

_Merlin lifted her glasses and started reading the symptoms she gathered "yes, there are symptoms of BPD like one of these terms: Fear of abandonment. Having an unstable relationship. Unclear or shifting self-image. Impulsive, self-destructive behaviors. Self-harm such as suicidal behavior or deliberate self-harm. Extreme emotional swings. Chronic feelings of emptiness. Explosive anger. Feeling suspicious or out of touch with reality"._

_Lucifer lifted his hand in surrender "please, speak with simpler language so I can understand it"._

"_Okay, to put it simply, it's like... She often feels 'empty'. Her emotions shift very quickly which she often experienced extreme sadness, anger, and anxiety. She's constantly afraid that the people she cares about will abandon her or leave her. She would describe most of her romantic relationships as intense, but unstable. The way she feels about the people in her life can dramatically change from one moment to the next and she doesn't understand why. She often does things that she knows are dangerous or unhealthy, such as having unsafe sex, binge drinking, using drugs, or going on spending sprees. She's attempted to hurt herself, engaged in self-harm behaviors such as cutting or threatened suicide. When she's feeling insecure in a relationship, she tends to lash out or make impulsive gestures to keep the other person close", with both eyes closed, lowering her glasses and putting down the papers on her hand to the table, Merlin shook her head and opened her eyes slowly "before you ask me, father, yes, mother may suffer from Borderline Personality Disorder"._

"_Merlin, you are the most genius of all your sisters", Lucifer beckoned "so just tell me, what should I do?"._

_Merlin hugged him, even if she knew it might have killed him, she couldn't help but to ask "stay by her side. Never let her hands go, ever. Don't give up on mother, father"._

_Lucifer chuckled and ruffled her hair "you don't have to ask me about it, daughter"._

_W__hen __they __found out about Demon King's __and Supreme Deity's __curse__s__ afflicted on __Lucifer and __Faust, __they __finally knew the reason behind her mental disorders. __Faust told them all __about it__ after using she was in her right mind, to the point she could use __**All Knowledge Of The World**__ to earn the answer of their question__. __It was like a mixture of Meliodas' and Elizabeth's curses._

_Demon King put the curse on __Faust __where every time Faust die__d__, she __would reincarnate and reborn with remembering all her past-lives memories__. Every time she died, she would lose__ part of__ 'herself'__ that went straight to Purgatory instead of to the Necropolis__. Once her reincarnation turned into 16 years old, __her __body would turn into an empty shell, __the __perfect embodiment of 'Void' and the easy target for the Evil Spirits. She only would turn into normal once in a month when the moon was on its brightest shine (the full moon) but other than that, she __wa__s nothing but an empty shell, the vessel for Evil Spirits who c__ould__ do every single evil deed like steal, or even to kill. To turn her back into normal, to pull her out of her misery, __Faust __ha__d__ to kill __Lucifer__.__However, when it happen__ed__, once __Faust __kill__ed__Lucifer __and turn__ed__ back to normal, she __would __kill herself if__ no one of __their __daughters was__ there to stop her__. _

_N__ot only that, but Supreme Deity __also __put the curse on __Lucifer __as __his __punishment. __He would __no longer able to grow older. __Every time __Lucifer __die__d__, __he would __resurrect back to life__ but of course, it was not without cost__. __He would lose his memories and emotions, unable to feel anything temporarily and he only would earn those back when Faust had been reborn somewhere in this world. As if to complete their suffering, __Supreme Deity __gave the last touch on Lucifer's curse where he and Faust would meet __inevitably__, she would fall __in love with __him __every time she reincarnate__d, only to end up with Lucifer got killed by Faust's hand__._

_The first time it happened and Faust realized what happened, __**All Knowledge Of The World**__ whispered to her about how to end their suffering._

_**Kill**__ the Gods._

_Looking down to her bloodied hands that had killed her beloved one for the first time, Faust cried out which sounded like the howling of sorrowful, blood-thirst beast "cursed you, Demon King and Supreme Deity! I will make sure to kill you someday and break us free from our curses even if I have to gather __**All Evil Of The World**__!"._

_**All Knowledge Of The World**__ who was corrupted and turned into __**All Evil Of The World**__ covered her eyes and took control of Faust who got consumed by her immense power "don't cry, O' you poor Holy Maiden, the one who loves Fallen Angel. I will always be there for you"._

_Weeping on her lover's chest, Faust hugged his corpse and cried harder. With the darkness corrupted her magic power, __**All Knowledge Of The World**__ was corrupted and turned into __**All Evil Of The World**__. Just like its name, not only __**All Knowledge Of The World**__, but even __**All Evil Of The World**__ came to her and it was the beginning of how a woman with a pure heart who only wanted the love from the one she loved, was corrupted and her hands were stained by blood, turning into __**Angra Mainyu**__, the one who possessed __**All Evil Of The World**__._

* * *

Looking down, Mercy had predicted this "oh, princess... please, don't cry".

Seraphina sobbed "I think what people said about it... it's true...".

Mercy wiped her tears with the handkerchief "about what?".

"that not all people are born as evil. Evil people are actually born from the people who hurt, badly".

"careful there, princess. True evil does exist in this world. If your grandmother ever heard about your words just now, you wouldn't hear the end of it. I bet she would comment about how naive you are".

Seraphina sat up abruptly, waving her hands "geez, I know why they did it in the first place but it's too much!? Grandma really should do something! Otherwise, I'm gonna try to open up the gate and create the path down to the Mortal Realm myself!".

Mercy jaw-dropped after listening to her resolve "EH!".

* * *

"yes, she's reincarnated where every time she's reborn, she remembered all of her past-lives memories. I'm sort-of the freaking immortal who always get myself resurrected every time I died, with temporary memory-loss and emotionless as the side-effect of my resurrection. Well, her curse comes from Demon King and mine comes from Supreme Deity, my mother, but our curse is intertwined so we have to break our curse at the same time", Lucifer rubbed his temple and awkwardly explained as he scratched his nape "so... to make a long story short, we have been cursed, destined to meet each other, fall in love, and I ended up got myself be killed by her".

Diane lifted her shaking finger "and it's been going on like that ever since 3.000 years ago?".

Escanor lifted his hand "uh... how many times you've... well, died on her hands?".

Lucifer chuckled nervously "frankly, I'm not quite good with math and because of temporary memory-loss, I lost count about how often it has happened until now".

"liar", Ban narrowed his eyes, clearly not believe in him. Pointing his forefinger to his chest, Ban barked out "even I who just spent short-term friendship with you can tell out loud that you are a bad liar because you are surprisingly too honest person!".

Meliodas clapped his hands "Ha! Glad to know we have the very same thought, my best friend!".

"to be more precise, ever since 3.000 years ago when you two have been cursed by them, it's been 99 times", Iseult stepped in and crossed her arms before her chest, grimly giving clarification "and it will be the 100th times in case you let yourself be killed by mother again this time".

"welp, now you let the cat out of bag", Lucifer was startled when he saw King, Diane, and Hawk burst out into tears "wait, why are you guys crying?".

King remembered his words to Lucifer just now _"do you mean to let your lover shoulder your sin together with you?"_.

How insensitive of him! When he knew nothing about Lucifer and to say it out loud right in front his face like that...

King hiccupped and apologized "Sir Lucifer, forgive me, I was...".

"no, you didn't know about it, yet. It couldn't be helped, at all. And honey...", Lucifer waved his hand to King before turning to Iseult, "I thought we have discussed it?".

"oh, yes. I do remember it. You said that if it meant you can freed mother from her misery, you would not mind to die in her hands and no matter how many times you've been killed by mother, you would not stop loving her. Your unwavering love to her is truly inimitable", Iseult huffed "but even so, it's not the reason to let yourself be killed by her hands! Why not you try to fight back?".

"only to make your mother suffered more? Yes, I could have fought her back, but if it will only end up bringing more pain to her, I refuse", Lucifer said without a doubt "no matter how many times I died by her hands, no matter how many lives I have to give to her, as long as it can save her from her curse, I don't mind to die for her and I will not stop loving her".

Tristan deadpanned "father-in-law, this is what people said that your masochist side can kill you for real".

"with all honesty, I totally lost respect on Supreme Deity and the Goddess Clan right now. Demon King and Demon Clan are no different", King hastily added "of course, princess Elizabeth, Lady Iseult, and Sir Lucifer aren't included! I know you're different from your Clan!".

"speaking of which, Tristan, do what you should do in case we meet Faust on the Necropolis", Lucifer explained further "as you all know, **All Knowledge Of The World** within Faust is corrupted and as the result, it brings **All Evil Of The World**. Right now, with her magic power consumed her, she can kill us but naturally by **Angra Mainyu**, someone who possesses **All Evil Of The World**, she will only aim for someone who possesses the magic power that entirely the opposite of hers. Because she possesses the Darkness within her, Faust, without doubt, will aim someone with Light magic power. Usually, it's only me, but now Iseult and Elizabeth are here as well... I don't have to ask you two for protecting them, right? I rely on you two to protect them, Tristan, Meliodas".

Tristan and Meliodas raised their hand in unison "leave it to us".

Iseult put her trembling hands on her chest. She wasn't sure at all, but she knew she had to do this. She lifted her chin up before she started singing. After she finished her song, she reached out her hands and lifted an orb in front of her "in the name of the Holy Maiden, the Priestess Iseult asks you to open the gate to the Necropolis. Allow me to bring the wanderers and lead the way for the dead to the Capital Of The Dead".

After they entered the Necropolis, somewhere on the Necropolis, Gelda turned to her companion "they are here, Mistress".

"at last", white-haired red eyes woman with Chesire-cat-like sickening grin mused _"come here, quick... I've been waiting for you... I've been looking for you... to kill you with my own hands..."_.

Gelda asked "then, what should we do?".

"I will take care of Lucifer, and you, Gelda", standing up from the green crystal throne-like chair, she told her "take care of the rest".

Gelda pulled out her daggers and bared her fangs, her eyes gleaming red as well "as you command".


	14. No Time To Die

**.**

**Chapter 14 – No Time To Die**

**.**

* * *

They had been walking on the Necropolis in the dreadful silence.

Escanor contemplated with a deep frown on his face, thinking how Merlin must have felt all along this time. To think not only the Captain and Elizabeth but even her mother and Lucifer were cursed by two Gods with such cruel curses _"is this the reason why your eyes always look so sad, Merlin?"_.

Ban stared pointedly to Lucifer as he walking behind him which Lucifer realized it but totally ignoring it. Diane fidgeted with her fingers, brushing the tail of her hair to her cheek. King still felt guilty to Ban and Lucifer, thinking he had to do something for them (although both deliberately ignored his attempt to apologize properly and make up something for them). Isolde and Tristan walked side by side, holding hands, trailing behind Lucifer. Hawk silently trotted right beside Meliodas and Elizabeth. Meliodas had had enough with the silence, he whispered to Elizabeth about what they were talking about. Elizabeth hesitantly told him about her brief conversation with Lucifer previously.

* * *

_After Elizabeth explained everything and Lucifer screamed out loud, Lucifer had to take a deep breath, exhaled and inhaled, before he smiled down to Elizabeth which Elizabeth felt it was far scarier rather than he was upset or simply mad._

"_come to think of it, __Ellie, i__n the __secret room of __Liones Castle, there's a Kingdom's Treasure, the ritual relic to communicate with Goddess Clan, called The Horn Of Cernunnos. Am I right?"._

_Elizabeth gulped and nodded her head __"uh-huh. And? What are you gonna do?__ Do you want to talk with mother?__"._

"_yup, so I can ask her to meet me. Not to have a friendly and warm reunion, though", he said with a friendly and gentle smile but when his smile disappeared from his face, it was replaced by a thrilled, wicked grin with cold eyes __"__I've gotta __**kill her**__"._

_Elizabeth gasped, horrified __"brother! She's our mothe__r__!"._

"_for you, not for me", __Lucifer pointedly stated __"after everything she's done, I do not think of her as our mother. Not anymore"._

"_she even promised me that she will try to help you, regards Faust"._

"_Ellie, I trust you and Meliodas, but that old hag is the least person in this world you can believe, ever", __Lucifer squeezed Elizabeth's shoulders __"and don't lie to me just for protecting her. She doesn't deserve your protection and forgiveness"._

"_But what if mother really regretted everything and she really tried to fix—"._

_Lucifer scoffed and waved it off mockingly __"__oh, __I don't think so, and I don't care. I don't think she's the type of someone who can regret her deeds, especially when it's something she does 'for the sake of Goddess Clan', she said"._

_Elizabeth groaned in frustration before she shouted __"at least, give her a chance!"._

"_it's too late! Even if she regrets it, it's too late, which I think impossible. There's no way she's gonna regret it", __Lucifer snapped back, hovering above her __"answer me, __little __sister, has she ever apologized or regretted it, for the evil deeds she's committed to us, her children? __**Never**__"._

"_that's...", Elizabeth thought back of when she had created the pact with her mother. Supreme Deity did apologize to her, but to Lucifer? Even if she told him, she had no proof to convince Lucifer "I'm so—"._

"_Ellie, please... I'm getting tired of listening to your apologies. Do not apologize for something out of your control or you never wanted to happen. It isn't your fault, okay?", Lucifer sighed loudly and turned his back, walking away "anyway, we have to go back"._

* * *

Meliodas turned his head to Lucifer and frowned. Before Meliodas had a chance to say something, Ban and King ran past him, yelling in unison "I won't let you get away!".

Tristan clarified as they ran following Ban and King "it seems they see something, or rather, someone. A ghost of Fairy girl".

Meliodas ran past him carrying Elizabeth bridal style "here I always wonder about how to do you able to see something far better than us even when you close your eyes like that, son".

Lucifer deadpanned, running beside them "and you never failed to take advantage of feeling up my sister, didn't you?".

When they arrived on where Ban and King stopped, they saw the floating fairy girl wore a white dress, no one other than Elaine, King Harlequin's little sister, and Ban's lover.

Ban smiled sadly "yo, Elaine~".

King sobbed violently, already crying mess "Elaine... I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry, I was...".

"brother, you're still a crybaby like usual", Elaine chuckled before giving a reassuring, yet sad smile with those understanding on her eyes "don't apologize, please. I've been watching over you all this time and I know what happened. It must have been tough, for you two".

Iseult moved forward "but you can stay with them from now on, no need to watch over them from here anymore".

All of them stared at Iseult before Elizabeth joined her and explained "Iseult here is the Priestess who has earned the title 'Holy Maiden'. She has the ability to heal people, she also can bring the dead back to life through the ritual and with several conditions, of course. The conditions we have to fulfill in order to bring back someone from the dead to life, we need someone who shared a strong bond with the dead like Ban or King, and I, as a member of Goddess Clan, can help them to bring the dead. We can do it as long as we're on the Necropolis, so we can revive her now".

Iseult ushered them, waving her hands "now, if you may, please give us space".

With Elaine on the center, Elizabeth and Iseult stood face-to-face and reached their hands out. Iseult moved her hands before lifting her hand in a stance to create the magic circle on the ground beneath Elaine and Ban.

Iseult's piercing golden eyes showed the triskelion marks on both eyes and it looked like she had a pair of white wings from her back "in the name of Holy Maiden, Priestess Iseult. I summon Thee one soul from the dead back to life with the dead's lover as her soulmate to bind her soul back to life".

"in the name of Goddesses", Elizabeth closed her eyes and triskelion marks of goddess clan member on her pristine gold eyes shot forward in the blinding light "I bless Thee".

Elaine's body was glowing in yellow-greenish sparks before her body grew up. She looked more like a mature woman with her blonde hair reached her hips and large, beautiful butterfly wings with orange and white colors. Her white dress fluttered around her knees. Looking down at her palms, she blinked away her tears before she looking with a broad smile to Ban and King.

Shakily, King reached out his hands and patted Elaine's cheeks before he exclaimed "warm! Smooth! Soft! You're alive! Not a ghost or soul!".

Ban even had the chance to give the snarky remarks "you even have wings on your back, unlike your older brother!".

"BAN! You're so mean!", King swung his hands up and down aggravatedly "we're practically brother-in-law, now you're in a relationship with my sister, right? I won't give my sister to you if you keep acting rude like that!".

"How troublesome", after scratching the back of his nape, Ban sighed and mumbled something about it couldn't be helped at all. With sparkles coming from his eyes, Ban said with all seriousness "forgive me, older brother".

King sputtered at that "...at the second thought, don't call me older brother. I'm not ready yet and it's... kinda weird to hear it from you, yeah".

Diane, Elaine, Iseult, and Elizabeth still had the heart to stifle their laughter, covering their mouth and giggling madly. Meliodas, Hawk, Tristan, and Lucifer openly burst out into mad laughter while Escanor openly gawked in shock to Ban because this was the first time they saw Ban could be so polite like this, to King even, of all people. Of course, not forget, Elaine, King, and Ban truly felt grateful to Elizabeth and Iseult for helping them to revive Elaine. Iseult blushed furiously when both Tristan and Lucifer patted her head and praised her for her good job.

"well, well, well, now, all jokes aside", lowering his hand after he patting Elizabeth's head, turning to Lucifer, Meliodas said with all seriousness "Lucifer, we need to talk. Clear everything with your sister and don't swat it away instead".

Looking behind with annoyance, Lucifer grumbled "what else? Still want to talk about it?".

"oh, yes. What else? Why did you even try to avoid it, and simply swat away the idea that mother might regret it and want to make up everything with us?".

"and helping us to break the curse? I don't think so. For your question, because I don't get it at all, why should she regret it and try to fix everything **now**, after she made us, her children, suffering for these past 3.000 years? Why **now**, after everything that has been happened between us?", Lucifer shrugged, thinking they should be careful with their words "you don't think it's weird, Ellie? Instead of using such a roundabout way, why doesn't she just break the curses on us instantly? Why should she postpone it, promising us that she would do it after we prevent the revival of Demon Clan? No offense, but what if she just wants to take advantage of us, Ellie? And once she reaches her purpose, it's done, she has no need to fulfill her promises".

Elizabeth was rather taken aback by the sorrow on her brother's eyes "that low you think of mother—".

"because it's just the kind of a woman she has been that I know as long as I live. Am I right?", Lucifer cut her off before looking straight to Meliodas past Elizabeth's shoulder, tilting his head "what do you think, Meliodas? I believe you're on the same ship with me and even thinking the same thing with me, though... considering how deep your love to my sister, you decided to just shut your mouth and keep all your Demons just to yourself".

Meliodas tucked his hands behind his head "well, well, well, can't say that you're wrong on that. Also, speaking about the one who tried to avoid the real issue at hand, it's you, right?".

Lucifer blinked "which issue do you mean? We're speaking about the curses that my mother put on us, right?".

Meliodas stated the matter of fact and nodded his head "yep, and you are the one who is in the utmost danger now, Lucifer".

Lucifer casually said "oi, come on. It's not like I'm gonna die for good, okay? Even if I die, I will come back eventually".

Iseult burst out in pure rage "it doesn't make the pain of losing you any less! Even knowing you're gonna come back to us, it's still hurt to see your death and we're still grieving, you idiot father!".

When Iseult started crying, Tristan glared to Lucifer with a scowl on his face before carrying her away to calm her down.

Meliodas sighed "she's right. Think about how your daughter must have felt, you idiot".

Lowering his head and tilting his head, with disdainful looks on his cold eyes, Lucifer spat "oh, so bold. I don't want to hear that from you of all people, Meliodas".

They were shocked when they saw how Meliodas froze with those unreadable emotions on his eyes. It was so weird. They never considered their Captain as small but now, he looked like a child who was busted and getting scolded by their parents or older brother. Regret and guilt were the most visible of all feelings they saw on their Captain's unguarded eyes before Meliodas regained his composure. He opened his mouth, about to say something but Elizabeth walked passing him by. Next second, Elizabeth slapped Lucifer, hardly.

"you really shouldn't blame Meliodas for it. If anything, I'm at fault for _**everything**_", Elizabeth blinked away a single tear before she quickly wiped it away. Turning her back against Lucifer, she grabbed her lover's hand, pulling him away "do as you please. If you really want to die on your lover's hand that badly, I don't care anymore".

Right, Lucifer's words were like the hot water scalded Meliodas's heart. Looking at Meliodas's pained expression with those regrets and guilts on his eyes, Elizabeth felt like she was the one who got scalded. She knew about Meliodas's suicidal tendencies from Merlin, Tristan, and Iseult. She was horrified when she knew it, to think how her repetitive death had turned such a strong person like Meliodas into a lump of depressed man, enough to do the suicide attempts several times in which he had tried everything, he said. Meliodas looked back and forth between Elizabeth and Lucifer, he really didn't mind at all because why should he be mad to Lucifer? He was right.

"Elizabeth—".

Meliodas never finished his words because he was cut off by someone's unexpected arrival "now, it's not good at all, you know?".

They turned their head to the source of the feminine voice.

Meliodas recognized who was she and he wondered why and how she could be here of all places when he had sealed her on the Edinburgh "Gelda?".

Elizabeth knew that name. The Thousand Temptations of the Vampire Clan. Vampire princess, one of the Vampire Royalty, Zeldris's lover.

Gelda looked down at them all and smiled broadly. The corner of her lips twisted upward into a thin smile. She caressed her chin and licked her lips, her eyes gleaming in red "to think we will meet again in this place, I never expected it at all. For now, I'm thirsty, so... you don't mind at all if I drink a little, right?".

They couldn't move their body at all because they were under the spell. Gelda swiftly moved. She leaped to where Meliodas stood and opened her mouth to bit his neck, holding his wrists. Meliodas winced in pain when Gelda sucked his blood and his breath was stuck on his throat as he coughed, spewing blood. Tristan and Elizabeth were the first ones to move, sending their **Ark** to Gelda who backflipped, carrying Meliodas like a sack before she landed on the top of the crystal.

"oh, my. This is why I hate the unmannered and rude person. Even my mealtime is interrupted", Gelda mumbled coherently before turning to leave "well, I guess I will retreat for now".

Looking to Gelda who left carrying the unconscious Meliodas (blood on his neck), Elizabeth spread her wings and fled to the sky with high speed "hey! Give back my husband!?".

Tristan facepalmed "mom... the irony of these situations seriously makes me want to laugh and cry at the same time".

Iseult laughed nervously "I understand it".

After Ban wrapped his arm around Elaine, Elaine wrapped her arms around Ban, already flying "what are you waiting for, guys? Let's pursue them!".

Ban agreed "get them!".

All of them were about to leave, chasing after the trio who had fled previously, but before all of them left, with a smile on his face, Lucifer said to Escanor who had been the latest to leave "Escanor, I believe Merlin on your care".

Escanor thought he had mistaken it, so he didn't take it seriously. They just followed the trail of their Captain's magic and when they caught of with the trio, they were shocked to see Gelda wrapped the bandages around Meliodas's neck neatly.

With bored looks, Gelda saw to the upcoming group "oh, finally, they arrive".

Meliodas casually lifted his hand "yo".

All of them fell forward face-flat on the ground before they protested about how could he be so calm to his assaulter and how he made them worried for nothing.

"blame her for it. She quite dramatizes the situation back then", Meliodas lifted his thumb pointing Gelda before turning with a scowl "next time, if you want to drink my blood, just tell me. You may suck my blood from my hand. Don't bite my neck like that again. It was seriously hurt".

Gelda crossed her hands before her chest and pursed her lips "just think of it as a punishment from me. When I asked you to kill me, instead of doing a favor for me, you sealed me away again instead".

"even so...", Elizabeth wrapped her arms around Meliodas and puffed her cheeks "isn't it too much to bite him like that?!".

Ban twitched his eyebrow up and down "I agree. Scold her further, princess".

King dumbfounded "um, Captain. Enlighten us, please. You know each other?".

Meliodas scratched his cheek "well, well, well, you can tell that she's sort-of... my little sister-in-law".

"well, to be more precise, Meliodas's little brother is my lover, so it made me as his little sister-in-law", Gelda clarified and lifted her hands in surrender "before you ask or judge me, I apologize for my sudden appearance with such hostility, but I have to do it, in order to bring you all far away from **her**, as she has requested to me. It's not like I can say 'no' to her order, considering my status as her familiar".

King asked, still suspicious of her "who?".

"Lady Faust", Gelda narrowed her eyes "I have to admit, even I was scared of her. There was once when we fought against the bandit who used an illusion sight to fool and capture their prey".

The bandits had shown the image of someone they loved. Of course, Gelda saw Zeldris, and Faust saw Lucifer. However, Faust didn't budge and she slashed the bandits without a doubt. When the bandit boss asked in fright about why was she not affected or why did she not see the one she loved, Faust simply said.

"_no, I saw him, the one and only man I've ever loved. However, instead, because I love him so much, I want to kill him right away with my own hands"._

"I was shocked and entranced at the same time. I never thought there's someone who really wanted to kill the one she loved, badly", Gelda found it was interesting to see the various state of shock from them all "you don't need to ask me about those bandits' fate. I believe you can figure out. She killed them all before she freed the women and children who were captured by the bandits. I've been confused until now. Actually, she's a kind person or an evil person?".

Meliodas tucked his hands behind his head "which one you think she is included as?".

"I don't know. There's a time she's an evil person but there's a time she's a good person", Gelda pursed her lips in deep thought, tapping her chin "although... one thing for sure. Her loneliness, grief, sadness, and guilt that she's always burdened on her shoulders, it's not a lie at all".

They stopped their conversation because they felt someone's presence "someone's coming".

Gelda lifted her dagger "Holy Knight. Clearly a human, but Red Demon's blood mixed with her blood and it gave influence to her magic power level, it seems".

Meanwhile, still in the same place where they encountered with Gelda, being left alone, Lucifer rubbed his stinging cheek where Elizabeth had slapped him. It felt like hot water scalded him, leaving the burns, or just like someone rubbed the salt on the fresh wound. It hurt, but the pain was always a good sign for him because it was the sign that he was still alive.

Lucifer closed his eyes "isn't it too much, to send a vampire just to separate them away from me? You should have known that I will not run away from you, right?".

Faust appeared behind Lucifer. Her silver hair cascaded down her chest and back, swaying on the air. Her red eyes glistening in a dangerous way. Black markings shifted on her torso, legs, and hands, crawling up to her left cheek. She smiled maniacally "hello there, I missed you, Lucifer. I love you. To the point, I want to kill you with my own hands".

Lucifer sighed, it was no use talking to her when her minds had been corrupted like this. Faust lifted the scythe on her hand and spread her dark wings. Lucifer lifted his Sacred Treasure, a katana before he spread his white wings. It looked as if the goddess of death and the goddess of life clashed against each other.

"_Meliodas, make sure you fulfill your promise. Make my little sister happy no matter what. Tristan, you have to take care of your wife, Iseult"_.

Meliodas and Tristan snapped their head, looking behind. Only then, they just realized that Lucifer had been missing from the group after Meliodas said in wonder "where is Lucifer?".


	15. Fallen Angel's Cry

**.**

**Chapter 15 – Fallen Angel's Cry**

**.**

* * *

Gelda tilted her head innocently, " I told you that I got ordered to usher all of you away from him? He must be with Lady Faust right now".

King shouted indignantly, "whose fault is this, you think?!".

Hiding Gelda behind him, Meliodas waved his hands "now, now, calm down, King. It's unlike she could go against Faust as her familiar, right?".

Ban shrugged, "well, the Cap'n is right~ we can deal with her later. For now, what should we do to save Lucifer and stop Faust?".

Diane waved her hands frantically "what should we do now? I can feel the Holy Knight is coming this way, we have to fight them-".

Elizabeth was quite panicked "-but we can't let my brother alone with Faust. Otherwise, he could die!".

Tristan raised his hands, turning his head back and forth between Elizabeth and Iseult "calm down, mother. Also, Iseult, honey, what in the world are you doing at this urgent situation of us?".

Iseult lifted her hands in praying position, kneeling on the ground, "trying to contact that workaholic older sister of mine since I could not contact my father".

"_I can hear you clearly! Wait a minute. I will be there right away, in a second. Geez, why should it be today of all day?"._

They were surprised when they heard Merlin's voice that somehow sounded so child-like. It turned out that the voice came from the Communication Orb on Escanor's hand. The one he got from Merlin secretly, it seemed.

Escanor shrugged cluelessly, "I also have no idea about what happened to her. She replied to your message after asking me to".

Ban grinned suggestively, "I'm here more wondering why and how you could have had the communication tool from Merlin. Have you finally won over her heart and been together with her already, huh?".

Elaine reprimanded him for being so mean "Ban!".

Hawk snorted, "OI! Be serious! One of us could have died as we're speaking here!".

Gelda narrowed her eyes, "the enemy is here. Focus".

There were three of them. Muscular man with mustache cladded in armor. Long straight raven-haired woman with both eyes closed, arm-plates, and rapier. Short straight purple-haired woman with a sword that shorter than the raven-haired woman.

Meliodas tucked his hands behind his head "well, well, well, this is surely troublesome..".

Ban rolled his eyes to Gelda skeptically "you did mention the Holy Knight was coming our way, but you didn't mention that there are three of them".

Gelda crouched and groaned, covering her mouth and nose with a strangled sound like she choked on something disgusting and was about to puke "...I was unsure. The smell of Demon blood coming from them mixed with humans presences rather confusing for me. Not to mention, their mixed blood smell bad like the rotten fish that is kept for a week in the locked storage without the fresh air. It gets worse as they come closer like this".

Meliodas remembered that as a Vampire, Gelda had the best sense when it came to smelling something. Tapping his fist on his palm, Meliodas tried to lighten the mood, caressing his chin with a suggestive smirk, "oh, I see. I was about to joke that if you were in an extra-marital pregnancy because of him, then I would have no choice but to kick his butt and give him a good lecture for getting you pregnant before your marriage".

Gelda snorted mockingly, pointedly lifting her forefinger to Meliodas "oh, you... Don't group him with a pervert like you. Once I get better, I'll strangle you".

King facepalmed, "Captain, but seriously... What's the plan?".

"well, well, well, as Elizabeth said, we can't let Lucy alone with Faust. So...", Meliodas caressed his chin thoughtfully before lifting Elizabeth bridal-style, even using this chance to burrow half of his face to her breasts "retreat for now! Son, I leave your aunt Gelda in your care and Iseult's".

Despite his grumbles, Tristan did what his father asked him. Lifting Gelda over his shoulder, Tristan pulled Iseult's hand, "father, why did you always give the difficult part to me?".

On Meliodas' hands, Elizabeth casually chirped, tapping her forefinger on her cheek "well, you know your father, son. How about this? Since it's needed and we have no necessity to keep the secrecy, you and Iseult can break your seal".

Just like a fish got into the water, Tristan's eyes lit up like a child for excited about getting new toys "really?!".

Wrapping her arms around Ban's torso, Elaine asked while they were flying, "do you have a plan?".

They dispersed into two teams in the end. The first team would go looking for Lucifer, while the other one would stay to fight the Holy Knights. The latter would follow and catch up with the former afterward.

Diane lifted her hand as they were running away, "but who will fight against them?".

Gelda lazily plopped her head on Hawk's body as the pink pig kept running, "but it's not like they will let all of us go easily, you know?".

Just like what Gelda said, Jericho leaped and slashed Ban with her sword. Strangely, Ban's wounds could not heal.

"How dare you!", Elaine reached out her hands to Jericho "**Wrath Of The Golden Wind!**".

The result was unexpected. Jericho was blown away by the strong wind, flying backward and going through several pillars of green crystals. The others stared at Elaine in shock.

Elaine looked down at her hands in bewilderment, "...since when did I become this strong?".

"let's save the explanation for later!", Iseult exclaimed from below, healing Ban "be careful. One may be down, but it's still needed to take down two more!".

Jericho came back in a rush, swinging her sword to Elaine, but got blocked by King "do not think so!".

"don't you dare to lay your finger on my sister!", King shifted his Chastiefol into its Guardian Form "not in my way".

"go. I've got this", Escanor cracked his knuckles and his neck, tilting his head right and left "I alone am enough to take them down".

"allow me to assist you. Not that I don't trust you, Sir, but I want to check something on them, and to save our time, it will be best to send them back to the human realm", Tristan raised his finger, "but can you break my seal first, honey?".

"of course. But before that", Iseult lifted her hands to the side, and her golden eyes started to shine brightly "**Valkyrie Mode: On**".

Iseult's clothes disappeared and changed into a white dress cladded with a full set of golden armors securely covered her body. Even a shield and a sword appeared on her hands. Tristan explained to them that it was Iseult's magic power, **Valkyrie**. When they were on the battle, Iseult could summon and exchange her armors, shields, and weapons that she had put safely somewhere in her private weaponry.

"prepare yourself, Triss", Iseult moved her hands to create the magic circles on the air. Crossing her shield and weapon in front of her face on top of the magic circles, she cast the talisman "I release Thee!".

Once the talisman touched Tristan's back, Tristan's red hair turned into silver. His eyes also changed into the unique heterochromia eyes, one green orb-like Meliodas' and one blue orb-like Elizabeth's. Three pair of white-feathered wings sprouted out of his back. As the wind blew his long straight silver hair, Tristan looked behind over his shoulder "go! Find father and mother in law! Save them!".

Escanor lifted his pointer finger "I may give a little help".

It turned out into the three-against-three battle, though Escanor said himself that he alone was enough to fight them all. Jericho had scoffed at it. Guila felt intrigued. On the opposite, Twigo was offended. Though, it was not Escanor, Iseult, or Tristan who successfully defeated the three of them away in the end.

Someone with a child-like, girlish voice sounded mocking them "I am surprised, it took you all this long just to take down these three Holy Knights".

They saw this certain someone cast the magic spell to create the **Perfect Cube** which protecting Meliodas and the group. Not only that, with a snap of her fingers, she sent the power to the three Holy Knights that sending them away.

"that should be enough to send them away back to the human realm", a little girl with shoulder-length short raven hair who wore a sleeveless navy-blue dress turned to them, a pair of golden eyes glinted with mischief and self-confident "no one injured, right?".

King, Diane, Ban, Elaine, Hawk, and Escanor _stared_, really stared at this little girl who came down flying to them.

Wait.

Could it be she…

As if confirming their suspicion, Elizabeth spread her hands to hug Merlin (in a child form) tightly "Merlin! You're so cute as always!".

"what happened? It's unusual for you to use this form", Meliodas smiled and ruffled Merlin's head "though, I don't mind at all, as long as Elizabeth likes it. Not to mention, looking at this form of yours, is quite nostalgic, Mer-bear~".

Merlin pulled the strands of Meliodas' cowlicks "shut up".

"ow! Ow! Not my hair, Mer! It's so mean of you!".

Kinda the opposite with her words, Merlin cuddled against Elizabeth's chest and hugged her back, mumbling "that's your fault for treating me like a child".

"wait, seriously, what happened to you, sis?".

Turning to her little sister, Merlin answered "remember Morgan?".

It clicked on Tristan's head "oh, you mean that young apprentice of yours, the young King of Camelot Kingdom's older sister?".

Merlin told them that Morgan just created a potion to turn someone into a child and when they tested it, it was a success "the potion's effect will be worn off in about a half-hour further. I could have just waited for longer until the potion's effect is worn off because, with all honesty, I do not want to appear in front of all of you like this, but it's urgent. Our parents' life is in danger. I can't risk their life no matter how ridiculous the circumstances I have been into right now".

Tristan shrugged, unable to understand it "what's the matters? We already know this form of yours".

Meliodas nudged Tristan's stomach with his elbow, side-glancing to Escanor "Triss".

Iseult deadpanned, "well, I'm grateful it doesn't come out like this when it comes to me, but you're so insensitive when it comes to other people's feelings sometimes. There's no way a woman would want to appear in their ridiculous state, such as turned back into a child's body, especially not in front of someone she loved".

Tristan boldly declared, "I wouldn't mind if it happened to you".

Iseult blushed furiously, thanks to his bold words.

"they're right. I think it's so cute of you", Escanor praised encouragingly. When he earned Merlin's stare, Escanor gulped nervously "um, did I do or say something wrong?".

"no, just thinking…", Merlin clicked her tongue, blushed slightly "I would have kissed you if I hadn't been in my child body".

Diane, Elaine, and King jaw-dropped. Ban openly laughed his heart out loud. Escanor cleared his throat and blushed furiously.

Elizabeth smiled innocently "you can do it later, right?".

Tristan said in disbelief "mother, I expected it coming from father instead of you of all people".

Meliodas waved his hand "trust me, son. Even I never expected it when the first time she boldly seduced me passionately".

Back to their main problem, all jokes aside, they went looking for Lucifer and Faust. Though, in the halfway, Guila attacked them. Unlike Twigo and Jericho, Guila was a bomb user, so she had more endurance to the blast. When Guila raised her rapier to attack Merlin and Iseult, both Escanor and Tristan were ready to protect them, but someone attacked Guila beforehand. When Escanor pulled Merlin into his embrace and Tristan stood in front of Iseult, a certain someone went flying to tackle down Guila and sent the flying kick from beside.

Silver hair. Red eyes were gleaming like Ruby. Death scythe on her hand and a black cloak with dark markings shifted all around her body.

Whoever saw her in this state, could have mistaken her as the Grim Reaper.

Guila groaned in pain, pressing her palm on her bruised hip "who are you? What's your—?".

Not giving her the chance to finish her words, Faust kicked on Guila's stomach and stomped on Guila's torso after Guila rolled to the side, lying flat on her back. Leaning her scythe on her shoulder, Faust smiled cruelly "that's not good at all, you know? Do you think, to whom you directed your weapon? Oh, if you wondered the reason why I stopped you, every mother would not need the reasons to protect their children, wouldn't they?".

Iseult dropped to her knees, leaning to Tristan who supported her. Looking straight to the figure who stomped on Guila's body, Iseult blinked away her tears "…mother".

Ignoring the trail of blood rolling down from her head, Faust looked up and smiled motherly to her youngest daughter "wait there, Iseult, I will make it quick".

When Faust pulled the red-hilted dagger from the scabbard on her hip, Guila curled into a ball on the ground "no! Don't eat me!".

No wonder Guila thought it that way because the dagger in Faust's hand was the 'Cursed Weapon'. The Dagger of Bathory, The Lady In Red. It supposedly belonged to the Vampire Clan. Now, it made sense to them why Faust had freed Gelda.

Gelda instructed, "stop her! Whoever gets hit by that dagger, they will die after all their blood and life-force get sucked by that dagger!".

Before Faust stabbed the Bathory's Cursed Dagger to Guila, Lucifer, in which his body covered with blood from head to toe, stopped Faust using the chain that shined fluorescently "don't get it wrong, Faust! Your opponent, your prey is only me!".

Elizabeth gasped, horrified "brother!".

"ah, there you are. Finally, you come out of your hiding place. Now, shall we stop our 'hide and seek' and finish our fight?", Faust smirked maniacally and lifted her hand. She threw several blocks of ice at him "Right!".

Looking at Lucifer's body that was pierced by the blocks of ice, Merlin used her teleportation. She appeared in front of Faust, spreading her arms to the side "mother, stop! Don't kill father!".

Panting, Merlin gritted her teeth. How she hated her weak state right now. Considering her body was still in a child's body, her magic power was also limited. Long story short, even if she wanted to fight, she would be no match for her parents.

"oh, my '—'. Don't be afraid, honey", cupping Merlin's cheeks, Faust leaned her face and kissed her forehead briefly "I won't let your father steal you away from me, ever".

Usually, Merlin was able to stay calm and wisely decide what to do, no matter what kind of circumstances they were in. However, listening to her mother's sweet, alluring, and reassuring words when she was still in her child form, the result was unbearable and it was overwhelming, even for her. Merlin dropped on her knees and her face blanched, like all blood drained out of her entire body. Merlin's pupils dilated, she saw the fires burning her hometown. The lightning struck the earth, along with the storm roared. The scattered corpses smelled bad. She cried and cried for help, no one came to save her until—

—Escanor pulled her into his warm, tight embrace and said right beside her ear "Stay with me, '—'! Even if all worlds turn their back against us, I will never betray you! I promised you that much! That's why, as I promised, I'll always come back to you no matter what!".

"no way… '—'? You…", Merlin came back to her senses, blinking her tears "could it be… do you remember?".

"Recently, yes. It seems some pieces of memories from my past life came back swiftly", Escanor smiled bitterly before he carried her on his shoulders "let's talk over everything later. For now, let's save your parents".

"wait! Before that—", a 'POP' sound came along with the smoke as Merlin turned back into her mature body. Swinging her legs, she casually asked "oh, my. Should I stay here, on your shoulders, or should we change the position?".

Escanor cleared his throat and instantly changed their position. Carrying her bridal style, he blushed furiously "…let's just change the position for my sanity's sake".

Merlin chuckled "whatever suit you, then".

As usual, Hawk let out his snarky comment "lovebirds, save it for later, in your bed".

When they arrived at where they felt Lucifer and Faust's presence, they saw Faust embedding the Death Scythe in her hands to Lucifer's torso.

When Faust earned back her sanity, she cried as Lucifer pulled her into his embrace. Holding his body, Faust wailed "NO! Not again!".

"don't… cry…", Lucifer choked as his blood came pooling in his mouth. His vision blurred like hell as he lifted his hand "remember… I regret… nothing…".

Faust hugged him and cried harder "NO!".

After Merlin pulled Faust away from Lucifer, Elizabeth and Iseult cried as they healed Lucifer, begging to him to survive it.

"_Is there really nothing I can do to save them?"_, Meliodas gritted his teeth, and surprisingly, as he pressed his palm on his chest, an Orb with the light as bright and warm as the sun appeared on top of his hands. Bewildered, Meliodas also had no idea about what was this Orb, neither he knew nor understood about why on the earth this Orb come out of his body. He only felt ticklish and tingling sensations when he pulled it out of his body "this…".

Faust broke her hug from Merlin's grip "That! Put it into Lucifer's body!".

Even if he didn't know what was this Orb and what happened, Meliodas obeyed her with the hope that it could save Lucifer "got it!".

Lucifer closed his eyes as he felt the sensation of something warm wrapped around him when he sank into his deepest slumber. At a time like this, he only remembered his beloved family instead.

* * *

_Isolde asked with so much innocence as she leaned her head on the edge of the bed "it probably hurt?"._

_Merlin scoffed to the already obvious answer of her question "of course, it hurt, SO MUCH"._

_Lying flatly on his stomach, Lucifer closed his eyes slowly after Elizabeth ushered the sisters to leave and play with Meliodas because Lucifer needed to rest. The last thing Lucifer could hear and feel was the conversation between Elizabeth and Meliodas about how high his fever that made Elizabeth worried and how Meliodas tried to comfort her. _

_As a punishment for what he had done to Stigma, Supreme Deity punished Lucifer on the spot. While the wings on his back were pulled off of his back by his mother, Lucifer could barely register anything. He only heard his mother had said, vaguely "sorry, but this is for you as well"._

_Lucifer scoffed at that with severe laughter, ignoring the tears that went streaming down his face freely out of his eyes like the flowing river due to the excruciating, burning pain on his back. Clenching his fist on the bloody, muddy ground, Lucifer glared with so much grudge, hatred, and pain, for his mother didn't even show remorse even the slightest "it's for me... or for the sake of Goddess Clan, huh?"._

_Why, mother? How could you have done this to me?_

_It hurt._

_It hurt.._

_It hurt…_

_It hurt!_

_The pain is unbearable. _

_Enough._

_Just kill me already, mother. _

_Instead of being alive in a living hell like this, I want to die._

_Let me die._

"_you are not allowed to die. Not yet, my idiot guileless son"._

"_...mother?"._

* * *

When Lucifer opened his eyes, he was welcomed by Faust and Elizabeth's tear-stained face, and the bear hug "LUCIFER! / OLDER BROTHER!".

Both Merlin and Iseult joined the bear hug, ignoring the fact that the others witnessed this, too "FATHER!?".

"...Merlin? Isolde? I'm… still alive?", looking around in bewilderment, Lucifer couldn't help it "what happened?".

"don't say it like you regret that you survive, you moron", Meliodas smacked him on the head, patting Elizabeth's back as his lover continued crying on his embrace "you scared us like hell. Just prepare yourself".

"oh, God… I can't believe this…", Faust sobbed and smiled tearily "your mother saved you".

Lucifer couldn't believe it "…what?".

Faust squeezed his shoulders "don't you remember it?".

Oh, right. Even if it was a brief moment, for several minutes, Lucifer had entered the Celestial Realm and met them. How could it have happened?

* * *

**A/N:**

_And... cliffhanger again? not even sorry :P_

_Yeah, Lucifer, I know it's gonna be hard for you to believe._


End file.
